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SCUTTLEBUTT 1854 - June 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.
GUEST EDITORIAL
Senator Santorum's amendment may indeed be "ill-advised," but not for him.
His constituency includes the owners of a commercial weather service, and
the honorable senator's loyalty does not extend beyond that. It is no more,
and no less, than business as usual in Washington. The only places that
will get NOAA weather will be the distant reaches of Kansas and the like,
where there isn't enough market demand to support the lifestyles of wealthy
CEOs of weather-forecast providers. After a while someone will point out to
the government that providing NWS services to a few thousand users is very
expensive, and that, too will be cut.
Such transparent thievery of goods and services we are already paying for
will happen if we don't do something about it. It may happen anyway; the
honorable senator is no stranger to the delicate art of paying off his
debts to contributors and constituents. Writing to him will do no good, as
he has already shown he doesn't care about ordinary citizens unless they
send money to keep him in office. Two days before the bill, the honchos of
AccuWeather sent Santorum $2,000, the most recent installment of some
$11,000 they have already paid him. The employees of Accu-Weather have also
donated over $5,000 to the honorable senator, and one has to wonder how
that was organized. The other honorable senator from Pennsylvania, Arlen
Specter, has also been the recipient of Accu-Weather employee donations,
although roughly half what they gave to Santorum.
One of the people to write is Senator Bill Nelson of Florida. He's not on
the AccuWeather payroll and, being from Florida, has something of an
interest in the continuation of NWS forecasts. Call him at (202) 224-5274
or go to www.billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm#email
for an e-mail
contact form. - Greg Jones, Senior Editor, Blue Water Sailing
CRAZY IDEA, OR . . .
In an era when entire fleets of one-design boats are "starting-line white,"
Alan Bugly thinks it's time for permanent bow numbers. He claims, "The
catalyst for this system was the Annapolis NOOD start-line problems where
there were no bow numbers, and the prospect of no bow numbers again for the
J/22 Mid-Atlantic's." But there's a twist to Bugly's plan. Instead of usual
two digits, his 'permanent number' plan has three letters. And boat owners
have the opportunity to pick their own combinations. Underwritten by
Hillman Capital Management and developed by Bugly, a website has been set
up to reserve your favorite combination right now. Perhaps you'd like your
initials, or "ZIP", "FUN", "GAS", "OCS", "ZFP "BFD", or "JIB"? Will these
permanent bow letters be accepted by race organizers? "I'm tiptoeing
through a political minefield," Bugly admits. "If I can get a grass roots
movement of lots of racers registering, I may be able to pull this off and
our sport will be the better for it."- www.BowNumberRegistry.com
CRUEL SPORT
Ocean racing can be a very cruel sport. After more than two weeks into
their voyage east from New York, the latest mid-fleet arrivals in the Rolex
Transatlantic Challenge race struggled today against strong tides and light
winds in the English Channel to reach the Needles Fairway buoy finish line
off the western tip of the Isle of Wight. "It was a long old night,"
admitted America's Cup sailor George Skuodas, racing on board the Swan 80
Selini. "We spent from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. trying to point the boat in the
right direction on the tides, trying to get her to drift the right way. It
is a little frustrating when you have sailed 3,000 miles and are
desperately trying to get it over and done with and seeing the guys coming
up behind us."
Their worst fear was drifting and missing the line. This would have meant
dropping the anchor and waiting for the tide to turn. "There was a little
more stress than I would have liked after 15 days of sailing," continued
Skuodas. Selini finally finished at 06:40 UTC this morning. Sunday night
saw the arrival of Peter Harrison's 115-foot (35m) ketch Sojana, following
their detour to the remote Newfoundland island of St Pierre to drop off
crewman Mal Parker, who had broken his forearm in two places following an
incident with a winch. Monday afternoon saw the Performance Cruising class
2 handicap leader Bugs Baer and William Hubbard III's Tempest anchored four
miles short of the finish line, stemming the ebb tide. She has until
02:14:18 UTC June 7 to win her class in Performance Cruising class 2 on
corrected time. - www.transatlanticchallenge.org
UK-HALSEY: SYNERGY REIGNS
UK Sailmakers and Halsey-Lidgard Sailmakers, two organizations sharing an
identical commitment to sailmaking excellence, customer service and great
product performance, have merged to become UK-Halsey. More than 50 lofts in
20 countries will now deliver their combined advantages, including UK's
laminated loadpath technologies (Tape-Drive and UK Ultra construction),
dominance in PHRF and among production racer-cruisers, plus Halsey's
expertise in mega-yachts and multihulls (from PlayStation and other RTW
racers to Caribbean charter cats). The UK-Halsey website is worth visiting
- for the latest animated Rules Quiz or news, sail tips, loft locations and
sail quotes: http://www.ukhalsey.com
THE ULTIMATE AWARD
ISAF invites you to submit nominations for male and female sailors,
individuals or teams, who you feel should be included on the shortlist for
the 2005 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards. One male and one
female individual or team will receive the accolade at the awards ceremony
on Tuesday ,November 8, 2005 in Singapore. Anyone may nominate a sailor
provided that sailor has met the simple criteria of 'outstanding
achievement during the period from September 1, 2004 through August 31,
2005'. Sailors nominated may represent any discipline within the sport,
from dinghies to offshore, windsurfing to speed sailing, and their
achievements may be as diverse as a record-breaking passage, a series of
regatta wins or triumph against the odds.
2004 Robert Scheidt (BRA) Sofia Bedatorou/Emilia Tsoulfa (GRE)
2003 Russell Coutts (SUI) Siren Sundby (NOR)
2002 Ben Ainslie (GBR) Sofia Bedatorou/Emilia Tsoulfa (GRE)
2001 Robert Scheidt (BRA) Ellen MacAuthur (GBR)
2000 Mark Reynolds/Magnus Liljedahl (USA) Shirley Robertson (GBR)
1999 Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) Margriet Matthijse (NED)
1998 Ben Ainslie (GBR) Carolijn Brouwer (NED)
1997 Pete Goss (GBR) Ruslana Taran /Elena Pakholchik (UKR)
1996 Jochen Schumann (GER) Lee-Lai Shan (HKG)
1995 Russell Coutts (NZL) Isabelle Autissier (FRA)
1994 Peter Blake (NZL)/Robin Knox Johnston (GBR) Theresa Zabell (ESP)
Nominations: www.sailing.org/worldsailor/2005nominationform.doc
COLLIGATE NAs
Action in the ICSA/Layline North American Team Race Championship resumed
today on Lake Travis with a an extra measure of performance pressure
courtesy of the ESPN camera crew that was on hand to capture racing for an
upcoming broadcast. Under partly cloudy skies and with a 10-12 knot breeze
out of the south, six teams competed in the Consolation Round, while the
top-eight teams continued their Gold Fleet rotation.
The eight teams in the Gold Fleet today saw the completion of round one,
and the start of round two to determine who will move into the "final
four." While seven races remain to complete round two, cumulative results
have Hobart/William Smith Colleges currently holding the lead with a
win-loss record of 9-3. Harvard is second (8-5) with Yale, leading at the
conclusion of day one, slipping today to third (8-4). Completing the
current standings are the University of Southern California (7-5),
Dartmouth (5-6), Georgetown (5-8), the University of Hawaii (4-8), and St.
Mary's College (3-10).
In the Consolation Round, College of Charleston was tops with a 5-0 record,
followed by Eckerd College (4-1), University of Washington (3-2), Texas A&M
Galveston (2-3), University of Michigan (1-4) and Northwestern University
(0-5). - www.collegesailing.org/nas/spring05
AND THEN THERE WAS ONE
(Excerpt from a report of the Faraday Mill OSTAR single-handed
transatlantic race posted on the Daily Sail subscription website.)
What was supposed to be a showcase event for the Open 40 class has turned
into something of a disaster with only one boat, Dutchman Nico Budel's,
Hayai - formerly Viktor Yazykov's Around Along steed - of the original
eight surviving. This comes with the disappointing news that Patrice
Carpentier is now hightailing it back to France on board VM Materiaux. The
leading monohull is now British 2008 Vendee Globe hopeful Steve White in
the ancient Open 50 Olympian Challenger. White has previously worked for
Goss Challenges and the Challenge Business.
In the multihull division there have been no more official casualties.
Roger Langevin on Branec IV appears to have taken over the lead from
Italian Franco Manzoli on Cotonella, who has covered just 106 miles over
the last 24 hours compared Branec's 160. Lia Ditton on the trimaran
Shockwave, is still in the race but awoke this morning with the boat
behaving differently to its normal motion. To her horror she found there
was large amounts of water in the forward watertight compartment. After
stabilising the boat she emptied the compartment to try to locate the leak
and found that a large crack had opened up around the bottom of the
centreboard case. She immediately called her shore team who worked on the
problem to find a solution and give Lia a procedure for stemming the flow
and fixing the problem. - The Daily Sail, www.thedailysail.com
THE NEW LOOK: THE CAMET PORTO CERVO SHORTS
Give your crew a modern twist on the classic look! These canvas shorts
provide the protection you need while maintaining the comfort and feel of
our original sailing shorts. With attention to detail, these shorts have
become the contemporary look on yachts all over the world. The Camet Porto
Cervo Shorts are made from 9 oz. brushed, soft cotton canvas. They have a
relaxed fit with plain front, zipper fly, belt loops, two deep side
pockets, and two stitched rear-pockets with Velcro closures. They have a
double seat for protection and gusseted crotch for full range of motion.
http://www.camet.com
NEWS BRIEFS
* The presentation of the scoring system and format for the Louis Vuitton
Acts and Louis Vuitton Cup has been rescheduled for Tuesday, June 7 at
Noon. Stay tuned. www.challengercommission.com/
* On June 16 the maxi trimaran Geronimo will attempt to set a record for a
fully crewed maxi multi hull boat to circumnavigate 6500 miles around
Australia. Geronimo will leave from Darling Harbour Sydney with a crew of
seven French and four Australian sailors. French skipper Olivier de
Kersauson is confident the Challenge can be achieved in less than a month.
It is the first time that a maxi multihull will make an attempt for this
record, a very complex and complicated voyage with tropical weather, trade
winds, and a dangerous southern passage in the winter. - www.superyachting.com
* At a gala June 5 event in Doha, Qatar attended by Sheikh Jassim Bin
Thamer Al Thani, Vice President of Qnoc, the skippers and crews of Doha
2006 and Daedalus took possession of their prizes from the Oryx Quest 2005
round the world race. Brian Thompson's Doha 2006 won $1 million plus the
Oryx Quest Trophy and the Amundsen Trophy while Daedalus skipper Tony
Bullimore picked up $300,000.
* In what must have been one of the biggest comebacks in sailing, the St
Francis Yacht Club overcame a 5-2 deficit from Saturday, reeling off 7
straight wins to wrest away the MadCap trophy from the visiting New York
Yacht Club on San Francisco Bay Sunday. The MadCap trophy, first awarded in
1876, is currently a best of 17 races, in a team racing format. Each team
consisted of 3 J-105's, where the lowest combined score for 3 boats wins a
race. - http://tinyurl.com/8zcxz
* Eighty boats and nearly 700 sailors participated in the inaugural Jimmy
Fund Regatta on Narragansett Bay. Sail Newport and The Newport Shipyard
were the hosts of the JFR. Northern Trust was the presenting Sponsor. The
big winner of the weekend was the Jimmy Fund who was able to net over
$90,000! David Ford and his team on Lightwave won the Frank McCaffrey
Trophy for top fundraising boat. They raised over $6,000 in their effort to
support the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute! Full Results:
www.sailnewport.org/npt/m/_general/jfrmain.asp
* Fifty-six teams from 21 nations are expected to attend the ISAF Tornado
Worlds in La Rochelle, Port des Minimes, which starts on June 10. Roman
Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher, gold in Athens and Sydney; John Lovell
and Charlie Ogletree, silver in Athens; Mitch Booth, bronze in Barcelona
and silver in Atlanta with crew Herbert Dercksen; Roland Gaebler, bronze in
Sydney and crew Gunnar Struckmann, are some of the names. Darren Bundock,
silver in Sydney, and new crew Aaron Worrall (Hobie Cat 16 World Champion)
will compete for his 5th Tornado World Title. www.tornado.org
* A familiar face was behind the helm of Stars & Stripes as it docked near
the Broadway Pier on Sunday. But it wasn't that of America's Cup sailor and
former owner Dennis Conner, as one might expect. It was Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger who guided the 80-foot yacht expertly to its berth. The
governor, California's first lady Maria Shriver, their four children and
their kids' buddies had a relaxing two-hour getaway cruise on San Diego
Bay. Stars & Stripes, along with Abracadabra, another former America's Cup
competitor, are now part of a charter service run by Next Level Sailing. -
San Diego Union Tribune, http://tinyurl.com/7av26
* Seven boats have now finished the 7000+ mile Leg 5 of the Global
Challenge RTW race in Boston: 1. BG Spirit, 2. Barclays Adventure, 3. VAIO,
4. SAIC La Jolla, 5. BP Explorer, 6. Spirit of Sark, 7. Imagine It Done.
Depending on the outcome of any race protests BP Explorer is now tied for
the overall lead with BG Spirit, both with a total of 61 points. -
www.globalchallenge2004.com/en
* Final results of the Mumm 30 Worlds held in La Trinite sur mer, France:
1. P. Berteht, Bouyges Telecom, 84 points; 2. F. Henry, Toulon PRovence
Mediterranee Coych, 91; 3. L. Browne, Asterix, 100; 4. M. Guessard, Le
Port-Bred-Reunion, 117; 5. R. Perini, Foreign Affair, 128; 6. Deneen
Demourkas, Groovederci, (USA) 129; 7. E. Maris, Twins, 3, 138; 8. P. de
Ridder, Mean Machine, 140; 9. J. Richardson, Barking Mad, (USA) 146; 10. M.
Perris, Dangerous But Fun, 151.
Event website: www.mumm30-worldchampionship.com
DO YOU HAVE A VETUS BAROSCOPE?
If you have a Vetus Baroscope barometer and would consider selling it,
Philippe Kahn would like to talk to you. Apparently they do not make them
anymore and he is willing to pay top dollar for a unit in great condition.
Contact Philippe Kahn at philippe@lightsurf.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 Sid Shelter: I read with interest in Issue 1852 that the US Youth
Champs will be hosted later in June at Cedar Point Yacht Club in Westport,
CT. Nothing against this yacht club or this town, but this is where the
Laser North Americans were held last year at the same time. During each of
the first three days of that event, the fleet had yet to log in a single
race due to a lack of breeze. It is a huge question in my mind why certain
areas get these prominent events when they have a painful history of not
providing the one thing a regatta needs - wind! Great club, great support,
no wind. This level of ignorance frequently sends me back to the
Scuttlebutt survey from last year on where regattas should be held. Maybe
others should also take a look at
www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/04/racingsites-us
* From Pat Nolan: History was made this year at Antigua Sailing Week when
an all women's team won not only their Division but fleet honors as well.
Pat Nolan, sailing the oldest boat in the fleet of 73 Bareboats, raced
"Seabiscuit" a Bruce Farr designed Beneteau 445 to victory defeating five
time Antigua winner Jan Soderberg and Phil Otis - last year's overall
winner. The eight women, average age 50 years, were making their second bid
for the cup having raced together at ASW for the first time in 2003
finishing a respectable third. They hope their victory encourages more
women of all ages to get out on the race course.
* From Doug Lord: Interesting to note that Andy Dovell is pursuing ACC like
wings on a canting keel and Julian Bethwaite is using a wing like appendage
for lateral resistance on his canting keel 26 footer. Eric Sponberg and I
are looking into retractable bulb mounted "wings" for possible use on
various canting keel designs. No telling where this will all lead but very
interesting nonetheless.
* From Bob Aring: At Milwaukee's South Shore Yacht Club w e have been using
Race Sail (http://www.racesail.org) for many years now. It has been very
reliable and intuitive, running on any Windows platform. It handles:
- PHRF Time-on-distance
- PHRF, Time-on-time
- Americap
- Portsmouth wind dependent coefficients
IRC time multipliers
- PHRF Pursuit (Pursuit is where the boat starting times are adjusted so
all boats should finish together if they sail to their handicap!)
The author, Ed Mitchell, has been very responsive to changes in the various
handicap rules and to specific needs of individual yacht clubs. It also has
a standard CSV output, allowing us to use the boat database to easily
create mailing lists and/or labels. Thus it becomes the basis of a race
organization/management system. We have used this program on a laptop on the
race committee boat. We were able to post results almost immediately upon
returning to dock.
* From Rob Paterson: I've read a couple of the threads regarding Race
Management Software and wanted to provide an alternative. About 3 years ago
I took over Racing Chair at Eastern Point Yacht Club in Gloucester, MA. At
that point we didn't have any software, and I believe the previous guy did
the calculations on the back of a napkin at the bar. We are a mixed club
providing both PHRF and one design starts throughout the summer.
I went looking around for scoring software and found Sailwave and another
program called Racesail . Both were freely downloadable from US Sailing's
website and included the most current US Sailing rules. After trying both
for a while we went with Racesail, and have been using it ever since. It is
a supported, product, bug fixed and upgraded regularly. There is an online
users group and Ed Mitchell will try to incorporate suggestions. It is easy
to use and very, very comprehensive. We use only a small percent of the
programs capabilities. It can produce output for the web, for the
newspaper, or printed for the club bulletin board. - www.racesail.org
* From Bill Simpson: My vote for a comprehensive scoring program is
JavaScore, available for free from US Sailing at
http://www.ussailing.com/racemgt/scoring_programs . We're using it at Fort
Worth Boat Club for both PHRF and one-design. Houston Yacht Club has been
using it for years. And you'll notice that the aforementioned website
includes quite a few other scoring programs that have been checked by US
Sailing (although US Sailing doesn't endorse any of them).
* From Jane C. Lawrence (Responding to query from Chris Ericksen): An
editorial in NY Times Sunday June 5 offers the explanation. Senator
Santorum is running for re-election in Pennsylvania and has vowed to
protect hundreds of Pennsylvania weather company jobs. Call your Senators
immediately and protest!
CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS
A bad marriage is cheaper than a good divorce.
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