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SCUTTLEBUTT 1827 - April 28, 2005Scuttlebutt 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. TO WAX, OR NOT TO WAX An Engineering Perspective by Christopher VanEpps Which is faster? A waxed/ polished hull, or a wet-sanded one? This is a question which "surfaces" (ha, ha) on a regular basis and quite often a wave of pseudo-science based debate swells and threatens to capsize scientific reason. While I don't purport to be the Moses who will read from the tablets of speed and end all the arguments, I have, at least, seen the burning bush of science and would like to share my understanding with the reader. Some 3500 words later, Mr. VanEpps explained what he does to his own boat: I wet sand, by hand, all the way up thru 500, 600, 800, 1000, and on to 1200 or 1500 grit 3M papers. I rub each grit of sandpaper in one direction only. Obviously you don't want to sand through the gelcoat, so prudence is essential here. Then, as I switch to the higher number paper, I rub at a 90 deg. angle to the previous. In this way, I can easily see when the tiny scratches from the previous paper have been removed. I keep alternating as I go up. Then I apply 3M Fine-Cut rubbing compound with a 7" orbital buffer. This removes the rest of the sanding swirl marks. I proceed with a good quality polishing compound (3M, or Turtle Wax) and finish with a silicone- based polish (Starbrite Boat Polish, McGuiar's #53/#53 Boat Polish, or Eagle Poly-1; whatever I have in the shop). I generally don't wax/ polish the topside of the decks because it's virtually impossible to get the white residue out without gasoline and a flame thrower. I have discovered a silicone-based product from Black Magic®, called Professional Protectant™, that when applied to the decks, leaves an ultra-glossy, non-fading, UV protecting shine that lasts for weeks and makes the non-skid look like new. It's a simple spray on/wipe off process. Yes, it's possible I have too much spare time and, after all this, I still get my head handed to me on the race course, but it's not the hull prep of my boat that's to blame. To read the entire story posted on the BeachCats.com website: http://tinyurl.com/8jgw ELLEN Wednesday at Buckingham Palace the Queen honored 150 recipients during the investiture ceremony including Ellen MacArthur who was appointed The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire to be Dame Commander. At 28 years of age, MacArthur became the youngest person to be named a Dame. Since MacArthur's 75-foot trimaran B&Q returned to Lorient in France at the beginning of March, the trimaran has undergone a comprehensive seven-week check and refit. The six-man shore team headed up by Project Manager Oli Allard, have been working flat out to get B&Q back in the water for her first boat testing period since the finish of the record attempt. The refit focused on the key areas of overall boat structure, mast and rigging, sails, deck gear, and electronics as well as many other miscellaneous jobs involved with any boat refit. The main area of work came with the mast and, more importantly, the ball at the base of the mast and the supporting cup it sits in [the entire mast sits on this small ball approximately 80 mm in diameter, up to 60 tons of load]. "We discovered a 4mm crack in the supporting cup and with the advice of our engineers at HDS have replaced the ball and cup and reinforced that area," Allard said. The full sail inventory has undergone a refurb at North Sails in Vannes, France and Future Fibres have replaced 99% of the rigging and all the rigging pins. A series of short 'standby' periods have been allocated in May and June to allow Ellen and the team to complete two to three smaller record attempts subject to the weather conditions. The first will be a crewed record attempt between St Malo and St Nazaire and could happen next week in the first standby period between 1st and 10th May. Also during May and June, Ellen and her team may attempt solo and crewed records such as the Cowes-St Malo and the round the Island (of Wight). - http://www.teamellen.com/ QUOTE / UNQUOTE When Peter Isler was put On The Spot by the Bang The Corner website, he was asked 'How would you improve the sport of sailing,' to which Isler replied, "Wave a magic wand and drastically limit the types of boats available to race … so there's more one design racing." - http://www.bangthecorner.com/da/17270 DAYSAILERS TO DIE FOR First you have to sail a little boat. When you're learning to sail, small boats teach you by reacting instantly to every puff, wave, sail adjustment, and turn of the tiller. They take you close to the water and evoke a range of responses; they can relax, thrill, scare, or addict you. Many sailors move to (or even begin with) more stable keelboats and never look back. But some never leave small boats, and others keep coming back. Why? Because a small boat can deliver a big sailing experience in a modest package. Because a small boat costs relatively little. Because it never stops teaching. Because it's where sailing begins. Fortunately for small-boat aficionados, there are plenty of daysailers on the market, from a full panoply of types: traditional, performance, production fiberglass, and modern classics. To get a sampling of what's out there, Sail magazine's editors went sailing. To read their reports: http://www.sailmag.com/features/04fedaysailers.pdf THE MELGES 17 IS THE LATEST FROM MELGES PERFORMANCE SAILBOATS The new Melges 17 is a new hot rod boat from Melges. The new two-person scow has been widely accepted already. Close to 15 new fleets are being formed nationwide to date and the first national championship is schedule for late August of this year. The 2006 Midwinter Championship is scheduled as well. Race to the Melges website and see this new boat up close. Also, review the available demo day dates for test driving one of these hot new boats from Melges. http://www.melges.com TECHNOLOGY The 2005 Annapolis to Newport Race will be the first of the long-standing East Coast offshore distance races to offer real time, online GPS race tracking for every boat in the fleet. Through a sponsorship by T. Rowe Price Investment Services, each boat will be provided with an iBoat Track GPS transponder that will be mounted on the deck before the start on June 10, 2005. Race organizers Annapolis Yacht Club, with assistance from the Naval Academy Sailing Squadron, New York Yacht Club and Ida Lewis Yacht Club, expect over 60 entries in the 28th running of this classic race. "Online full fleet race tracking, one of the most successful media venues for promoting live off-shore sailing, is expected to generate increased excitement in the competition," said Mark Myers, Commodore, Annapolis Yacht Club. "Families, friends, fans and the press alike will be able to follow the changing dynamics of the competition as the influences of weather, tactics, boats and skill are felt during the course of the 475-mile race." The GPS transponder will track each boat's location and progress from the start off Tolly Point in Annapolis to the finish off Castle Hill Lighthouse at the entrance to Newport Harbor, in Rhode Island. Accessible through any web browser, iBoat Track, the Internet-based tracking program, will be updated constantly, providing position, speed, fleet and class positions during the entire length of the course and available online at www.annapolisyc.org/newport05. The race tracking will be archived indefinitely online with the existing race archives. Other races expected to follow the trend of live fleet tracking include the 2005 Marion to Bermuda, the 2005 Marblehead to Halifax Race, and the 2006 Newport to Bermuda Race. - Media Pro Int'l QUESTION Peter Barrett used to ask an interesting question on sailing in current: "Two one design sailors belong to a yacht club on a river which has a current of 3 knots, but unfortunately they work opposite shifts so cannot race to settle who is faster? They agree to time how long it takes them to reach a bridge which is 2 miles downstream, the longer time buys the other a beer. The first sailor finds that on his day, the yacht club flag is limp, i.e. there is absolutely no wind. Next day the second sailor comes down and is happy to find a nice 3 knot wind in the downstream direction. Which sailor wins the bet?" Answer below. NEWS BRIEFS * The Australian OzBoyz Challenge syndicate informed AC Management and the AC 32 Challenger Commission that it would not be challenging for the 32nd America's Cup to be held in Valencia, Spain, in 2007. Despite a great deal of time and effort by OzBoyz Challenge to prepare for the 32nd America's Cup, it has run out of time to finalize funding and logistical arrangements required to mount a challenge of the size and expense required. OzBoyz Challenge will be represented on the European circuit this year by Seve Jarvin in its preparation for the 33rd America's Cup. * Under a three-year agreement, Murphy & Nye has acquired an exclusive world license to design and produce official men's, women's and junior collections for the 32nd America's Cup. These will be marketed through its own distribution network as well as at the America's Cup Store, on site at the AC Park in Valencia (and in Malmö-Skåne and Trapani for the 2005 Louis Vuitton Acts in those cities). Clothing will also be available on-line from www.americascupstore.com beginning June 2005. Murphy & Nye is a part of Gruppo Sixty, which distributes in excess of 22-million items of clothing annually in over 90 countries * After the challenging and windless conditions of Monday, the wind returned for the third day of racing Tuesday at Antigua Sailing Week. Although not as strong as some Sailing Week days, the 12-20 knots that greeted the Division A racing boats was pleasant as they raced on the South Coast Race between Curtain Bluff and Shirley Heights. The Division B Falmouth Harbour Race started with lighter winds off Jolly Harbour. Tom Hill's Titan XII racked up another win to go into layday leading class and fleet with two points in each. - http://www.sailingweek.com/imc/index.html * The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) for 2005-2008 have made some changes that will affect match-racing. In the opinion of International Umpire Henry Menin, none of the changes will have a major effect on how the game is played, but match-racers should still be aware of them and what they mean. Menin has written a comprehensive explanation of the changes, along with illustrations, that is now posted Swedish Match Tour website: http://www.swedishmatchtour.com/default.asp?m=da&id=18278 *The Yngling competition at Semaine Olympique Française is proving to be a real nail-biter for Sally Barkow, Debbie Capozzi, and Carrie Howe, the only Americans competing in the event. They finished another three races in the event today and took back the lead from the British team skippered by Sarah Ayton. The Americans are now in the lead by just two points, setting the stage for another exciting race day on Thursday. - Event website: http://62.193.237.105/gbr/news/home.asp?intitule=informations * West Marine will be the title sponsor for this year's 112th running of the Regatta at Put-in-Bay Ohio. The West Marine ILYA Bay-Week Regatta's at Put-in-Bay consists of a premier junior Regatta, a regatta for powerboats, and the sail regatta. The sail regatta has three courses. - http://www.i-lya.com/ * Eugene Rayner, who manages the finish line duties for the Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race and the Newport Bermuda Race, is looking for a new telescope. The right scope has been hard to find. The tower needs an 8x (or zoom to that power) backsighted scope, one with cross hairs, to precisely mark a yacht's finish. Ideally, the scope would also include digital photo capability so the finishes could be recorded with a time/ date stamp and instantly posted on the event's website. Anyone knowing a source for such a telescope, please contact Eugene Rayner at mailto:erayner@ibl.com * Photographer Glennon Stratton captured college racing again, this time at the Women's Pacific Coast Championships. Hosted by Stanford University, this event was used to determine the top two teams from the district to compete at the Women's Nationals in Texas this June (congrats to Standford and USC for qualifying). Glennon's images do well to portray the energy from the event: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/pcc-w "FASTEST SAILS ON THE PLANET" JUST GOT FASTER Ullman Sail's new FiberPath Sails are arguably the lightest, strongest load-bearing fiber sail construction process available. Stronger for its weight than alternatives, superior longevity, and priced with our customers in mind. FiberPath Sails use high quality aramid fibers, oriented along both primary and secondary load lines, structurally bonded under high heat and pressure, thereby eliminating cloth delamination. Are you ready for the "Fastest Sails on the Planet?" To learn more about Fiber Path Sails, visit http://www.ullmansails.com/fiberpath.html ANSWER The first sailor rows his boat out to the middle of the river and starts to drift downstream at 3 knots whereupon he has a 3 knot headwind. He can beat against this headwind and so sail towards the bridge faster than a stick in the water. When the second sailor starts to drift downstream at 3 knots the 3 knot wind relative to the shore now becomes a flat calm relative to the water, so all he can do is drift at the same speed as the stick in the water. Thus contrary to common sense, (which Einstein defined as the prejudices we acquire before the age of 16) the flat calm day is better and the first sailor wins. - Peter Hinrichsen 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 William F. Cook: Bob Lang wonders why those monohull sailors he's speeding past spend so much money to go so slow. Give another look out there, because you'll find a guy in a Fountain F1 with several hundred horsepower who is struggling to hear himself think that you aren't too bright for wasting your time in any sort of blow-boat at all. Right on shore there's a guy in his garage tweaking the performance of his hot rod wondering why anyone wants to waste their time going less than 100 mph. Some other guys avoid internal combustion and asphalt in favor of strapping on a turbojet and heading out to Black Rock for a shot at the world land speed record. Up in the sky is a fighter pilot who can't understand why you wouldn't just put wings on that thing and experience the thrill of Mach 2. And down in Houston are some men and women who train to go into outer space and orbit the earth in weightlessness at tens of thousands of miles per hour. Growing up near the Johnson Space Center, I still remember that a few of those astronauts "wasted" their weekends out on Galveston Bay going a mere 6 or 7 knots. To each his own. * From Ralph Taylor: I commend, and sympathize with Lee Jerry in trying to bring reason to the monhull vs. multihull wars. It (reason) looks like a losing cause as long as some insist that everyone choose their flavor. I imagine he'll now be attacked from both sides, though all Scuttlebutt readers would agree that sailing -- in any boat -- is a good thing. The more minor the differences, the more seriously they are taken. * From Hugh Elliot: I am delighted to see the smoothness issue resurface! As a fundamentally lazy person, for whom wax and 1200 grit wet or dry paper are anathema, I have spent that last 25 years announcing to all who would listen (and some who would not) that excess sanding is a waste of time and slow as well. * From Ron Rosenberg: When it comes to the complex topic of hull finishes, you're likely to find that opinion leaders all across our sport will tell you that the preferred hull finish for a Farr 40 in light air may not be precisely what you would want on your 505 or 49er in heavy air planning conditions. What about an Etchells, a Star, a J/24 or a catamaran of any size? Does "smooth finish" mean 600 grit or 2000 grit? From a practical standpoint, I believe that all will agree that a clean hull is a fast hull. This is why Bruce Parsons ('Butt #1826) and so many others have had a good experience with soap, until it washes away in a few minutes. In my opinion Team McLube Sailkote keeps hull and appendage surfaces cleaner (and lasts longer) than anything else available today. McLube helps to minimize and even eliminate the oily, grimy "ring around the waterline." Admittedly I am biased, but if you would like to take a look at what a long list of Olympic, VOR, AC and One-Design World Champions have to say about this, check out: http://www.mclube.com/frames/sailkote/tips.html * From Ray Tostado: I have prepped my own boat bottoms for over 30 years. From the shaving mirror sheen of a personal Petit/graphite base formula, to experimenting with "phantom form theory" micro bands across the primary water pathways, and deliberately scouring #50 grit in a cross flow pattern. I discovered while tuning for racing on the Great Salt Lake, after racing for 20 years in So Cal, the bottom surface requirements are distinctly, radically, different. Pacific ocean coastal densities run about 3.5% saline; the Great Salt Lake will vary based on snow melt, but can be averaged at 16%. What works great on a run to Ensenada will not get you to Antelope Island ahead of your fleet; and inversely the same. Fresh water is not in my past experience. Using the prime factor that going 8-knots in boat speed is equal to doing Mach 1 through sea level atmosphere when considering surface drag, I support the conclusion that any surface preparation will be optimum only at specific speeds. This implies that you must decide at what end of your vessel's polars do you want the advantage to kick into optimum. It will other than at that selected speed range be just normal, and in extreme cases actually promote drag, resulting in under performance. My insight came when an identical boat with a ravaged bottom was cleaning my clock in super light airs. I was still wearing my So Cal glossy bottom. I changed; I went faster. I learned by doing the leg work. * From J. Dirk Schwenk: Anyone that is interested in the debate about fairness and smoothness of racing hulls and foils should go read (or reread) the relevant sections of Bethwaite's High Performance Sailing. The Bethwaite's did drag comparison testing while pulling hulls and foils behind a power boat. The results much more closely mimic "real" sailing than testing done on liquid flowing through a pipe. I don't have the book in front of me, so I cannot give specifics, but rough isn't found to be fast. Shark patterns may be fast (as would be a good fishy slime-coat) but since we're confined to certain rules, elbow grease and 2000 grit may be the best we can do. Curmudgeon's Comment: It just so happens that the Bethwaite book referred to above is sitting on the shelves of the Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Library: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/book * From Bernie Coyle: I've been racing one-design sailboats for 40 years and still love what little remains of the sport. Catamarans, the absurd remnants of the America's Cup, and ocean racing (phrf or trans) simply cannot be truly construed as racing since the prime variables are obviously checkbooks and lawyers. I'm not bitter. Everything has its day and passes on. CURMUDGEON'S OXYMORON Why does mineral water that 'has trickled through mountains for centuries' have a 'use by' date? |
