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SCUTTLEBUTT 1812 - April 7, 2005
Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions,
features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Corrections,
contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting
viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing, whining and personal
attacks for elsewhere.
"PEDRO - WE JUST BROKE THE WORLD RECORD"
With the aid of a short and simple satellite phone call from the Southern
Ocean, MoviStar skipper Bouwe Bekking, communicated the best news back to
Pedro Campos, General Manager of the team of the MoviStar Sailing Team in
Spain. After months of preparation and just a few days into the second part
of their ocean training schedule for the Volvo Ocean Race, Bouwe excitedly
told his colleagues the big news: "We covered 530 miles over 24 hours!
We're thrilled!" "The boat and the team are giving great results and the
feeling on board is fantastic. We felt confident that we could beat some
record, but this was a pleasant surprise," continued Bekking.
Four days out of Wellington (New Zealand) en route to Cape Horn, sailing
south-southeast about 2,000 miles from New Zealand, MoviStar once again
confirmed everybody's expectations for the new Volvo Open 70. "We hoped
that the boat would give us many pleasant surprises," said Pedro Campos,
General Manager of the team, "but in all honesty, we never thought we'd get
such great news so soon!" Iker Martínez, Spanish 49er gold medallist in
Athens 2004, spoke about the feat: "We averaged 22.08 knots over 24 hours.
The boat literally flew! "This is brilliant news - just what the boat was
designed for," said Glenn Bourke, Chief Executive of the Volvo Ocean Race,
openly expressing his enthusiasm for the achievement.
The former Volvo Ocean Race class, the VO 60, was well known to be a
potential force in breaking records. The current 24-hour record for a
monohull yacht under 60 foot, is 484 miles, set by illbruck, skippered by
John Kostecki on April 30, 2002, averaging a speed of 20.16 knots. Speed
records are ratified by the World Speed Sailing Record Council after
receiving all the information from the Volvo Ocean Race, who monitors the
boat's position 24 hours a day. The current world speed record holder for a
monohull is held by a boat twice the length of MoviStar: the 140 foot Mari
Cha IV, owned and skippered by Britain's Robert Miller. The British boat,
which had a crew of 24 onboard (in comparison with MoviStar's crew of 10),
set the record on October 7, 2003, covering 525.7 miles over 24 hours,
averaging 21.9 knots.
The next challenge: Cape Horn More adventure and excitement awaits the
MoviStar team as they pass through one of the most treacherous passages of
the world of sailing: Cape Horn. From Wellington to Cape Horn MoviStar will
cover 4,300 nautical miles, followed by an additional 2,400 miles to the
port of Rio de Janeiro, for a total journey of 6,700 miles non-stop from
New Zealand". - Lizzie.Green, www.volvooceanrace.org
VALUE
An independent valuation of the Swedish Match Tour by Sponsorship
Intelligence, a division of ZenithOptimedia, found that in 2004 the Tour
delivered a multi-million dollar return. The valuation considered the full
impact of brand exposure through television programs, press clippings,
Internet postings and event spectators; the value of corporate hospitality.
It also considered the additional benefits of image association, event
ownership, event prestige and image fit. The 2004 valuation showed an
increase in media value of more than 20 percent compared to 2003.
Sponsorship Intelligence broke down each component of the rights package
into two types of benefit: tangible benefits and intangible benefits.
Tangible benefits are the components that can be valued in an accurate way.
Examples of these are on-site branding visible to event spectators and TV
viewers, mentions in the press, corporate hospitality/complimentary ticket
allocation, and mentions in event programs. Also considered was branding on
event tickets and on other event associated literature. Tangible benefits
are the components that can be valued in an accurate way. Examples of these
are on-site branding visible to event spectators and TV viewers, mentions
in the press, corporate hospitality/complimentary ticket allocation, and
mentions in event programs. Also considered was branding on event tickets
and on other event associated literature.
Sponsorship Intelligence found television exposure the most valuable
tangible benefit of the Tour. Last year Swedish Match Tour programs were
broadcast in the nine host markets the Tour visited (Bermuda, Denmark,
Croatia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Sweden, and the U.S.). Programs
were also distributed across Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and
the Middle East. Some of the markets broadcasted the 30-minute Tour program
of each event, while others broadcasted a highlights package. The value of
the Tour television programs accounted for nearly two-thirds of the
property valuation. - Sean McNeill, www.SwedishMatchTour.com
WELCOME ABOARD ULLMAN SAILS - VIRGINIA
Ullman Sails International is excited to announce that Jerry Latell and his
sailmakers at Latell Sails have joined the Ullman Group. Jerry originally
opened his loft in Irvington, Virginia and for the last several years has
operated as a satellite location of Ullman/Skelley Sails. His success
dictated a larger facility, which he recently moved to in Deltaville. Over
the past decade, his customer base has included one-designs from Flying
Scot's to J/105's, many offshore PHRF racing teams, and a large cruising
clientele. "The Fastest Sails on the Planet" and Jerry's contact
information can be found at http://www.ullmansails.com
A NEW HOME
Transpacific Yacht Race participants have long enjoyed the warmest welcome
in sailing. What they haven't had in the first 100 years is a rousing
sendoff. That will change for the Centennial race in July. It was announced
at a press conference Wednesday that the Transpac board of directors has
accepted the offer of the City of Long Beach to use the downtown Rainbow
Harbor as a staging area. The race will still start off the Palos Verdes
Peninsula, but competitors will find free mooring for their boats before
the race in a leisure venue surrounded by the Queen Mary, the Aquarium of
the Pacific, the historic Pike at Rainbow Harbor theme park and the
Shoreline Village complex of waterfront shops and restaurants.
Transpac entries have now reached 71 - third highest ever with entries from
Mexico, Japan, Canada, New Zealand and from within the United States from
Maryland, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, Hawaii and the Great Lakes.
If at least that many start, it would be the most boats since 1981,
exceeded only by the record of 80 in '79. - Rich Roberts,
www.transpacificyc.org/
ATTACKING A VERY OLD RECORD
On May 21, 20 of the world's largest and fastest sailing yachts will battle
their way eastward across the North Atlantic in the 2005 Rolex
Transatlantic Challenge run by the New York Yacht Club in co-operation with
the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, England. The record for this race - 12
days, 4 hours, 1 minute and 19 seconds - was set in 1905 by Wilson
Marshall's 185-foot (56.4m) three-masted schooner Atlantic was skippered by
Charlie Barr. Since then a few boats have set west-to-east transatlantic
passage records -- where a yacht leaves at the most propitious time -- but
the mark has never been bested in an official race. Most notably, the
141-foot (43m) racing schooner Mari-Cha IV, an entrant in the Rolex
Transatlantic Challenge 2005, holds the transatlantic-passage record of 6
days and 17 hours.
The 20 competing yachts racing much the same course as their forebears did
100 years ago: departing from New York, bound for the Lizard and then
continuing on to Cowes, Isle of Wight. For safety, the race organizers plan
to include a way point in the mid-Atlantic to keep the yachts clear of
icebergs. As with the 1905 event, the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge will be
sailed by large yachts, with entries open to monohulls of 70 feet (21.3m)
and longer. While the 1905 event was raced purely on elapsed time, in 2005,
the entries will compete on handicap, divided into classes separating
thoroughbred racers from performance cruisers and classics. - Media Pro
Int'l, www.transatlanticchallenge.org
GLOBAL CHALLENGE
Cape Town, South Africa - Six boats have now finished Leg 4 of the Global
Challenge: 1. Spirit of Sark; 2. BP Explorer; 3.Team Stelmar; 4. Imagine
It. Done; 5. Pindar; 6. SAIC La Jolla. At our distribution time Barclays
Adventurer was just 12 miles (speed for the last 24 hours- 2.3 knots) from
completing the leg with Me To You just 31 miles from the finish.
"It is sad and unbelievable that 7500 miles from Sydney to Cape Town across
the Southern Ocean with winds reaching 50 knots should end in a floating
match race in 1 knot of wind with 0.1 knot of boat speed," said Dee
Caffari, Imagine It Done skipper. "I am devastated to have led the whole
leg for so long, not only to lose it but also to not even make the podium.
The whole crew are tired, frustrated, cold, wet and miserable and for weeks
we have been buzzing from what we envisaged for our arrival. Now the
disappointment is too difficult to hide. So it will be a low-key affair,
until everyone has time to deal with the feeling that we have tonight of
being kicked in the teeth." - www.globalchallenge2004.com/en/
QUOTE / UNQUOTE
"We literally didn't know until five minutes before we crossed the finish
line that we'd won as BP Explorer were behind us and catching. Just so
close." - Spirit of Sark Skipper Duggie Gillespie. - The Daily Sail
subscription website, www.thedailysail.com
ALL ABOUT THE KIDS
Today's headlines are about Kostecki, Butterworth, Burnham, Ainslie, and
the usual suspects. Deservedly so. Tomorrow, it could be about Lauri
Lehtinen, Sean Doyle, Allie Blechler, Rachael Neal, Steven Natvig, Wes
Byrne, Adam Roberts, Nick Martin, Sean Kelly, and Fred Strammer. Regatta
winners at the high-intensity CISA Advanced Racing Clinic. Committed to
developing the next generation of talent, in it's 27th year, the California
International Sailing Association Advanced Racing Clinic is today's boot
camp for tomorrow's rock stars. Kaenon Polarized is proud to play a role in
the evolution of our next generation. Kaenon Polarized. Evolve Optically.
http://www.kaenon.com
Curmudgeon's Comment: Images of the CISA Clinic are available at:
www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/cisa
US DISABLED SAILING TEAM
US Sailing announced the members of the 2005 US Disabled Sailing Team.
Created in 1998 to develop and prepare the Team representing the U.S. at
the Paralympic Games, the US Disabled Sailing Team annually recognizes the
top three competitors in the two classes selected for the Paralympic Games:
Members of the 2005 US Disabled Sailing Team are: 2.4 Metre 1. Nick
Scandone (Fountain Valley, Calif.) 2. Roger Cleworth (Lithia, Fla.) 3. Tom
Franklin (Miami, Fla.)
The Sonar team members are: 1. David Schroeder (Miami, Fla.), Keith Burhans
(Rochester, N.Y.), Brad Johnson (Hollywood, Fla.) 2. Rick Doerr (Clifton,
N.J.), Jim Leatherman (Glen Arm, Md.), Mike Ross (Encinitas, Calif.) 3. Jen
French (Tampa, Fla.), JP Creignou (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Brad Kendell
(Clearwater, Fla.). The 2005 US Disabled Sailing Team is coached by
five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Betsy Alison (Newport, R.I.). -
www.ussailing.org
ORYX QUEST 2005
Tropical cyclone Isang is no longer a threat to Daedalus as Tony Bullimore
and his team hightail it north at a good rate of knots. Late Tuesday
afternoon when the storm was at its closest, Daedalus was heading on a
reciprocal course doing 24 knots. There is nothing like a bit of boat speed
to get you out of a tricky corner. Meanwhile, the mood on board Doha 2006
is one of amused resignation. Had they been able to stay in good winds they
would long since have crossed the finish line, but around-the-world racing
is made up of a lot of 'what if's'. There is one big 'what if' dangling in
the back of every crewmembers mind and that is, 'what if Cheyenne and
Geronimo had still been racing'. The comfortable lead enjoyed by Doha 2006
has allowed the crew time to sit and ponder their future. At 0011 UTC
Thursday, Brian Thompson's Doha 2006 was 398 miles from the finish and 1968
miles ahead of Tony Bullimore's Daedalus. - Brian Hancock, www.oryxquest.com
NEWS BRIEFS
* Standings after two races in the Star Western Hemisphere Championship at
the Nassau YC (25 boats): 1. John Dane III / Austin Sperry, 4 pts; 2. Paul
Cayard / Brian Sharp, 4; 3. Andy Horton / Brad Nichol, 7; 4. Ross Macdonald
/ Mike Wolfs, 8; 5. Mark Mendelblatt / Mark Strube, 12; 6. Howard Shiebler
/ Hal Haenel, 14; 7. George Szabo / Eric Monroe, 14; 8. Rick Merriman /
Steve Mitchell, 16; 9. John MacClausland / Brian Fatih, 16; 10. Mark
Reynolds / Anders Ekstrom, 19. - www.nassauyachtclub.org/doc/star_spring.htm
* Recommended reading: The Downside of Circumnavigating, by Cap'n Fatty
Goodlander, posted on the Cruising World magazine website:
www.cruisingworld.com/article.jsp?ID=36485&typeID=336&catID=0
FOR SALE
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quality gear list. Exceptionally priced at $495K. Lying: San Diego. Contact
Neal Esterly, Fraser Yachts Worldwide, 619-823-9034 or
neale@fraseryachts.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. This is not a chat room nor a
bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best
shot and don't whine if others disagree.)
* From Russell Painton: Many thanks to Dave Perry for putting this old
wives tale (the effects,or lack thereof, of current on sailboats) to bed! I
have spent countless hours debating this issue with folks who are better
sailboat racers than I, and who should have known better. Maybe now we can
debate something else!
* From Chris Pratt: Dave Perry Perry is absolutely correct. Current alters
VMG vectors on both tacks equally. The trick is what happens across a
course area when current varies across that course area. Like all wind and
current issues, it's the differences that give gain or loss.
* From Paul Kamen: More than a little bit ironic, that immediately after
reading Dave Perry's " There is No Lee bow Effect " confession ('butt
1811), we are invited to download the new Umpires and Match Racing Manual
that contains almost exactly the same basic error. See pages 104-105, where
we are asked to believe that in current at right angles to the wind, boats
going upwind "feel" an entirely different wind direction than boats going
downwind. It's true that you need a windward offset mark to get square
beats and runs with a cross current - but for a very different reason (left
to the reader as an exercise).
* From Mark Jardine (In response to Dave Perry's article about no lee-bow
effect): If the mathematicians have proved that there is no lee-bow effect
then I have to presume that any gain I make in races due to this is through
the mind, probably using telekinesis. I feel I must inform race committees
of regattas where I have gained in races through this 'mind effect'. Any
advantages I have gained from extra sensory powers could be regarded as
outside influence under rule 41. I now have to think how to contact the
committees in question - should I write a letter, phone them or use another
psychic power?
* From Howard Macken: I found Dave Perry's "There is No Lee bow Effect"
article very interesting, but I am not sure I buy it. It brought back
memories on of an apparent wind situation I had in Georgia Straight off
Vancouver, BC in the '70's, we were at the tail end of the fleet, in a San
Juan 30 1/2 tonner, trying to go down wind with the current going faster
than the wind, spinnaker plasterd aginst the mast.
Finally I ordered the spin be dropped, turned the boat 90 degres to the
current, let the main all the way out and we "flew" through the fleet side
ways to end up 3rd! Maybe I didn't have to turn the boat sideways, and
should just have dropped the main! But then the other guys would have
really figured it out.
* From Brian Doughty: If Dave Perry's description of current's effect on
apparent wind speed (Scuttlebutt 1811 -excerpt from Winning in One Designs)
left your brain floating downstream - you're not alone. What starts as a
muddy description of vector algebra turns into some very confusing
reasoning based on the addition of a completely new but irrelevant
reference plane (ie. a second boat watching the first boat ???? What the
#$@&*&!!! Is there any rum left on either of these boats?).
Further, if the "stick in the stream" is a governing rule of fluid dynamics
- how do we sail upwind Dave? Okay, now forget "lift"...how do we sail any
angle other than dead downwind? Perhaps in a newer edition you could get
your math-savvy friends to write this chapter and include a few vector
diagrams illustrating your point (if you convince them you have one). In
the meantime the rest of us should keep one eye on the tide charts.
* From Ashley Knox: Because you seem such a fan of Oscar Wilde and with
good cause I believe- his flare for living impresses me. Knowing the small
bit I do about his lifestyle and biography, I always enjoy the inclusion of
his wisdom at the end of daily 'butt's. I offer my personal favorite quote
of his that you may like to share with the readership. It has served me
well to remember it and/or quote him aloud on many occasions! "An
inordinate passion for pleasure is the secret of remaining young." -Oscar Wilde
* From Gene McCarthy: The Board of Directors at US Sailing's Spring Meeting
initiated By-Law changes which will eliminate almost all of them from their
positions as directors. I applaud them for they must have realized that
they were not fulfilling their financial obligation to the members of the
association.
* From Bill Leary: The story on Ellen's use of olive oil in her generator
reminds me of a similar experience many years ago. While delivering the new
Frers 49 Bravura from Papeete to Honolulu after winning the 1976 Los
Angeles to Tahiti race, one of the hoses to the propeller hydraulic drive
chafed through at a bulkhead penetration emptying all of the system oil
into the bilge. We were only one day out of Papeete, but couldn't afford to
return for repairs and replacement oil because we had to get to Hawaii ASAP
for the Round the State Race. We made a temporary repair to the hose, and
filled the system with Wesson Oil, which we had plenty of aboard. It worked
like a champ, although the inside of the boat did smell a lot like a
McDonalds deep fryer! After a 16 day passage we powered into the Ala Wai
one day before the start of the Round the State Race, were we won our class.
CURMUDGEON'S OXYMORON
Genuine imitation
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