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SCUTTLEBUTT #320 - May 11, 1999US SAILINGAfter 17 years as Chief Measurer and almost 6 years as Offshore Director for US SAILING, John Wright has decided to become a stockbroker (actually, John has been studying Finance for several years). John was hired in 1982 as our first paid Chief Measurer by then Offshore Director Ken Weller. John took over the Offshore Director position upon Ken Weller's departure in December 1993. We will miss John. His departure creates a real need to replace his expertise in our Offshore services. We are fortunate to have the services of a naval architect and several certified measurers to fill the gap over the interim period while we look for John's replacement. Persons interested in John's position can fax their resume to US SAILING at (401) 683-0840, attention: Terry D. Harper, Executive Director. Candidates should have good background in offshore handicapping rules and in business. Background in engineering or naval architecture is a "plus." Position also involves administration of department that includes three other employees. - Terry Harper, Executive Director, USSA SUNFISH WOMEN'S NORTH AMERICANS Bay-Waveland YC in Bay St. Louis, MS. Saturday was sunny, warm and SE winds 12-18, Sunday was sunny, warm and SE winds 6-10. Six races were sailed with one throwout over mixed courses: WL, Gold Cup and Olympic. Five former champions participated. Nancy Haberland dominated, going away. -- Gail M. Turluck 1. Nancy Haberland, 7 points; 2. Joanne Weberlein, 14; 3. Gail Heausler, 19; 4. Leslie Weatherly, 19; 5. Lee Parks, 20; 6. Micki Gramm, 25; 7. Anne Patin, 34; 8. Mindy Katz, 36; 9. Constance Miller, 51; 10. Linda Tillman, 53; 11. Miles Bailey, 55; 12. Trin Ollinger, 56; 13. Melissa Warren, 58; 14. Gail Turluck, 59; 15. Patricia Manning, 65; 16. Courtney Hazlett, 73; 18. Sara Wilkinson, 78; 19. Amanda Palmer, 82; 20. Skeeter Chilton, 84; 21. Pam Brierre, 97; 22. LeeAnn Kaigler, 108 THE BEST It's absolutely the best ocean protection on the planet, as well it should be. Gill's Bowman's Smock was developed and tested by some the world's top bowmen during the last Whitbread Race, and features breathable GORE-TEX with latex dryseal neck and cuffs to keep the water out. If want to stay dry, check out this terrific smock: http://www.douglasgill.com 470 NATIONALS - A report from Paul Foerster & Bob Merrick Final Day of the 470 U. S. Nationals, RACE 8 -- We had a 9:00 a.m. start, so we were at the boat at 7:00 a.m.; the sun was just coming up as we drove to the club. We did an hour's worth of boat work, then headed out to tune up. We were pretty far ahead on points, but with a throw out of DNF (33 points), we had to play it safe and not make any mistakes (over early, foul, breakdown). The wind was pretty strong for this early in the morning, 8-12 knots out of the southeast, so we had some good chop. On the first start, we just did a conservative start at the boat, but it was a general recall start. On the second start, Morgan Reeser and Kevin Burnham (in second place) pinned us outside the pin end, but it also was a general recall start. On the third start, we circled the committee boat, with Morgan chasing us for four minutes, then split off and started in the middle of the line, but it was another general recall start. On the fourth start, we did the same as the first, but this time it was a good start, and we were off. A left puff came through, and the left paid off on the first beat. We rounded fourth, with the Japanese leading. We gained on the pack behind on the reach, then worked low on the run to just sneak into first place at the leeward mark. We gained a little 'til the finish and won, with the Japanese in second. This moved the Japanese out of the second place tie with Morgan, into a solid second. The U.S. women's team of Tracy Haley and Louise Vanvoorhis finished third, moving them into the lead in the women's division, one point ahead of Whitney Conner and Elizabeth Kratzig. Graeme Woodworth and Andrew Gainer finished fourth, moving them into a tie with Morgan and Kevin for third. RACE 9 -- We started at the boat, just above the Jamaicans. We got a little lift, but the left still had an advantage--more wind, I think. We got to the weather mark in second, two boat lengths behind Graeme and Andrew, with Morgan right behind us in third. We stayed even on the reach, then caught a good puff on the run to move ahead of Graeme and Andrew. We rounded the leeward mark just ahead of them. We went right up the next beat, waiting for a little header. We finally got one and tacked over. We gained a few boat lengths, led at the weather mark by four boat lengths and went on to win. We are now the 1999 U.S. National Champions, and this qualifies us to go to the Pre-Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, in September of 1999. The Japanese team finished second overall, with Graeme and Andrew third overall and Morgan and Kevin fourth overall. The women had a tight last race, with Tracy and Louise passing Whitney and Elizabeth to take the regatta win. We now travel to the French Nationals on Tuesday, with the regatta starting on Thursday. IMS 40 ASSOCIATION The first regatta of the IMS 40 Association was hosted by the American Yacht Club as part of its Spring Series on the weekends of May 1-2 and May 8-9, 1999. Eight boats completed seven windward-leeward races in conditions ranging from five to 25 knots. The top four positions were hotly contested and were not determined until the final race. Sirena (Tripp 43, owner Loeb) tied Morning Glory (Tripp 41, owner Olsson) with 15 points each after throwing out one race but Sirena notched three first place finishes to Morning Glory's one, giving Loeb, the Association's organizer, victory in the first regatta. Sirena was also awarded the Commodore Edward L. Richards Trophy for best performing IMS yacht at the Spring Series. Third place was also a tie between Montana (Tripp 41, owner Felton) and Pax NZL (Farr 43, owner Siegel) with 17 points each, only two points behind the leaders. In the last race, both Montana and Pax NZL were OCS. In a show of skill and determination, Montana returned and started properly, eventually winning the race! Pax NZL did not restart and the subsequent score of OCS became her throwout, costing her third place in the regatta. Notably, four different boats won at least one race during the series. In the end, the racing was very close. Morning Glory was the most consistent boat with no finish worse than third. Sirena was most improved during the series, recovering from a last (eighth) and fifth on the first day to post three subsequent wins. Other boats, which had been out practicing early in the season such as Montana and PAX NZL, showed strength in the heavier air. The next IMS 40 Association event is the Greenwich Cup, hosted by Riverside Yacht Club on May 15-16, 1999. -- Steven Loeb LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON We read all e-mail (except jokes) but simply can't publish every letter. Those printed here are routinely edited for clarity, space (250 words max) or to exclude personal attacks. -- From Tom Moulds -- The Americas Cup is a great place to show place the technology of the future and should continue to be so. It is wonderful to see human sprit partnered with technology battle it out against other teams. I think that we sailors should give a good hard look at the success NASCAR Winston Cup series and look to creating an exciting team/technology driven sport. If only we could combine the format of the successful 1D48 regattas with the TV coverage of the Americas Cup.... -- From Wally Henry, NYYC/Young America AC syndicate and three-time America's Cup veteran--In response to the letter from Glenn T. McCarthy; I started sailing after watching the America's Cup on television. -- From John Roberson, Australia -- My first and overriding observation is, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". The America's Cup seems to work well as it is, it produces intrigue, scandal, psychological warfare, and physical competition. As for the frequency, under normal circumstances it does happen every three years, it is just when it changes hemispheres it needs some adjustment, and when it goes to a completely new venue, time is needed to put the necessary facilities in place. The Kiwis have done a phenomenal job in the time available, overcoming a multitude of hurdles, the Viaduct Basin will be the best Cup venue ever. Making the boats more one design would destroy part of the whole mystique of the Cup, as Dennis Conner once commented, "the America's Cup is battle of two organisations, that just happens to be settled in sailboats." There are so many facets to an America's Cup campaign, that the winning team is the one that gets more of them more right than anyone else. The America's Cup is the only place in our sport where this sort of money can be spent on technology and development, which in the end trickles down to benefit all levels of the game. I also believe that in Auckland we will see a greater emphasis on sailing skills that ever before. This is because of the huge variety of conditions that you can get on the Hauraki Gulf, so that designers are more likely to go for an all round hull, with the sailors having to trim the rig and the sails to the wind and sea-state. Over the past thirty years the power of the defender has been steadily eroded, so levelling the playing field, but let's not forget that the America's Cup is a "challenge", it is about invading another country, it is about taking your wares and proving that you are better than the incumbent. This again is what makes it different and intriguing. -- From William F. Cook -- The idea to run the America's Cup as a one design event is ill-considered. No other sport successfully markets one-design racing. In fact, it is precisely the desire for the edge that helps fuel interest in professional sporting events. In auto racing the constant battle between manufacturers and other technology companies occupies perhaps 30% or more of the televised discussion. Meanwhile, you don't see corporate America falling all over themselves to put their logos on an IROC car. Even in the Olympics, one-design is rare. All those bicycles, rowing shells, ice skates, bobsleds, etc. are the subject of constant development by the Olympic teams. Even in the Whitbread, where nearly all the boats were designed by Farr and were extremely close, the minute details of the differences between the boats were discussed in intricate detail by most everyone, and I still hear people wondering aloud about the merits of Alan Andrews' design for the ill-fated America's Challenge program. What the America's Cup needs is some good management by an independent entity. Putting Team New Zealand and the NYYC in charge of the whole thing has removed any hint of propriety from the event, and the constant bickering about and changing of the rules simply turns people off. The Whitbread was a successful event precisely because there was a single large company running it that didn't care one way or the other who won. If the racing is too boring, change the format (it's been changed several times before). -- From Rich Hazelton, Editor 48N -- David Millet stated: "Outside the sailors that compete in America's Cup, the event has become so foreign to most sailors that it garners little support or following except during the actual event. (My opinion)." Mine too. -- From Merritt Palm -- This weekend I sailed in the Annapolis NOOD regatta on a 1D35. While the NOOD regatta as a whole was run really well, I think it is important to mention that the Race Committee work was excellent. It was a pretty shifty weekend of sailing and we got six good races completed. They were really on top of it! AMERICA'S CUP America True, The San Francisco Yacht Club challenge for America's Cup 2000 led by Dawn Riley, will begin writing a new chapter of San Francisco history on May 26. The team will steer its new Phil Kaiko designed 75-foot yacht down the Embarcadero to Pier 17 for a boat dedication ceremony. Mayor Willie L Brown, Jr. will join America True on this historic occasion that finally brings to San Francisco a true America's Cup challenger with the appropriate fanfare. The event will include a ceremony emceed by KDFC radio personality Bill Lueth and appearances by the America True crew, including Coach Buddy Melges. At noon on Wednesday, May 26, the new America True boat will begin its parade down the Embarcadero, starting from the Ferry Building. The boat arrives in San Francisco from James Betts Enterprises in Truckee, where it is currently being built. Betts will be taking special measures to protect the new boat until it is safely on board a ship to New Zealand and title is transferred to America True. After an arduous trailer trip over the Sierras and through the California Gold Country foothills, the boat will stop at Pier 17, where it will remain shrouded until 5 p.m. During this time, America True will host an open house at its retail store and world headquarters, complete with free cake and balloons for the visiting public. At 5 p.m., Riley will speak at the ceremony, and the team will make an official champagne toast to celebrate the dedication. Mayor Brown will pull a cord, releasing the shroud and allowing a glimpse of the boat. He will then talk by phone with Christine Fletcher, the Mayor of Auckland, New Zealand, where America's Cup 2000 is scheduled to take place. Following the ceremony, America True will allow public viewing of its new boat before it is shipped to New Zealand and prepared for team practice and racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup this October. The press and public are invited to attend this extraordinary event that will usher in a new era for San Francisco and its sailing community. The full boat will not be visible to the public as its true shape and details must remain a secret from other competitors for as long as possible. Keeping the design and development of new America's Cup boats a secret is all part of this 148-year-old game. America True website: http://www.americatrue.org VOLVO INSHORE CHAMPIONSHIPS North Sails Race Week, for 14 years a stand-alone success, suddenly has become the OK Corral of Southern California sailing. It became clear at San Diego's prestigious Yachting Cup May 1-2 that the 15th NSRW scheduled June 25-27 will be the final shootout at several levels of the new Volvo Inshore Championships series. From the grandeur of the ULDB 70 "sleds" to the flash of new sportboats, competition among 134 boats in 11 one-design and PHRF classes was keen and spectacular. The Volvo series continues with the new Cal Race Week at Marina del Rey May 29-30. Most of the same boats are expected to transit to join new competitors the next venue. Performances will carry through for overall series awards to be determined in the climax at Long Beach, where NSRW producer Bruce Golison anticipates a record turnout of more than 150 entries. "Our hope is that this series can grow into a world-class event, drawing boats from the entire Pacific Rim," Golison said. There is no extra fee for entering the Volvo series beyond the customary entry fee for the individual events. NSRW fees are from $110 for boats smaller than 27 feet to $200 for boats 59 feet and up. Details are available by phoning (714) 379-4884 or by e-mail inquiries to bgolison@jps.net. Early series one-design leaders off their victories at San Diego include Don Hughes' and Bob Richards' big bright yellow sled Taxi Dancer from Santa Barbara, John Kilroy's Farr 40 Samba Pa Ti, California YC; Larry Harvey's J/120 Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, San Diego YC; Jim Long's and Todd Downey's Schock 35 Troublemaker, CYC; Bob and Katy Patterson's J/35 Fast Lane, CYC, and Vince Brun's and Ben Mitchell's Melges 24 Rush, SDYC. Clearly, Cal and San Diego YC competitors are in the front row. In PHRF, frontrunners in five classes were Ron Kanto's Cantata and Rick Johnson's and Artie Means' Muddy Waters from Oceanside YC, Ross Ritto's High 5 and Peter Senft's Midnight Express from Cortez Racing Association and Dennis Conner's and Jack Pinhero's Menace XX from SDYC. In addition, besides hosting the sleds for the first time, NSRW will feature the charter fleet of Catalina 37s from the Long Beach Sailing Foundation. Headquarters for the event will be the Seaport Marina Hotel adjacent to the Alamitos Bay Marina. - Rich Roberts GERMAN FRERS It's hard to know what German Frers was thinking about when he designed the deck of the Swan 46 back in the early 80s. The huge perforated toe rail on that boat is a bonafide 'butt bruiser.' These days, Swan crews have learned how to cope with the pain by sailing wearing fast drying Camet sailing shorts with the optional foam butt pads. They work - not only on a Swan 46, but also on a J/35, a Lido 14, a C&C 38, a Farr 40 http://www.camet.com/ LIPTON CUP The Coronado Yacht Club is hosting the 84th Sir Lipton Cup Regatta -- an annual competition between yacht clubs -- on May 15 and 16 on South San Diego Bay. This year's regatta will be sailed in Schock 35 and is expected to draw about 16 yacht club teams from Canada to Mexico. The competition is composed of seven races over a 2-day period--four on Saturday and three on Sunday. The Thompson Regatta - a preview warm-up affair held last weekend in Schock 35s at the same venue - was won by the San Diego YC boat steered by Vince Brun: 1. Brun (7) 2. Ken Kieding, SBYC (10) 3. Dave Ullman, BYC (11) 4. Scott Mason, NHYC (11) AROUND ALONE At 8:30 a.m. local time, Mike Garside was 30 miles from the finish line and cruisin' at 10 knots. 1000 GMT position reports: 1. Garside (47) 2. Mouligne (276) 3. Yazykov (877) 6. Van Liew (1670) Around Alone website: http://www.aroundalone.com THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS He who laughs last, thinks slowest. |
