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SCUTTLEBUTT 1784 - February 28, 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.
VENDÉE GLOBE 2004
(Sunday, February 27) It was at 08 hours 00 minutes and 57 seconds GMT this
Friday 25th February 2005 that the 60 foot monohull Ocean Planet skippered
by American Bruce Schwab crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe 2004,
a single-handed race, without stopovers and without assistance departing
and finishing in Les Sables d'Olonne (France). In looping this particular
loop of the world, Bruce goes down in history as the first American to
complete the Vendée Globe. The race time to make the 23 680 miles is 109
days 19 hours 58 minutes and 57 seconds at an average theoretical speed
across the course of 8.98 knots. He was 22 days 9 hours and 11 minutes and
02 seconds behind winner Vincent Riou's time.
With just four French skippers remaining racing, the next arrival is
expected to be Benoît Parnaudeau who is heading due north back up the
Portuguese coast in gale force 8 winds, which have been blowing for more
than 24 hours now. The seas are heavy and the tired boat is being slammed
around. These uncomfortable conditions look likely to last for another 24
hours for the competitor, who should be the next to arrive back in Les
Sables on Thursday. To make matters worse, the wind is directly head on,
which is forcing Benoît to head back up at 60° from the wind, thus slowing
his VMG to half his real speed. - Event website, http://www.vendeeglobe.fr/uk
OLYMPIC REPRESENTATION
The IOC today (Friday) presented its commissions for 2005. They include
four sailors who will help guide the IOC and the Organizing Committees in
their preparations for future Olympic Games. The President of the
International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge (BEL), announced the
composition of the 24 IOC commissions. Former ISAF Presidents, Paul
Henderson (CAN) and Peter Tallberg (FIN) and former Vice-President Ng Ser
Miang (SIN) are joined by windsurfer and Olympic gold medallist Barbara
Kendall (NZL).
Paul Henderson and Ng Ser Miang are both members of the 13 strong
Evaluation Commission for the Games of the 30th Olympiad - 2012, originally
appointed by the IOC President in July 2004. It is responsible for sending
a final report on the candidate cities to IOC members before they cast
their vote for the 2012 Olympic host city on 6 July this year. Members of
the commission have already visited Madrid, London and most recently, New
York. In March they will be visiting the two remaining candidate cities:
Paris and Moscow.
Peter Tallberg (FIN) is an honorary member of the Athletes' Commission.
Also in this Commission Barbara Kendall (NZL) will join other athletes,
like swimmer Alexander Popov (RUS) and sprinter Frank Fredericks (NAM), in
forming a link between competitive athletes and the IOC. The Commission
will also work with the Organising Committee to ensure all the athletes'
needs are met during the Olympic competition. - ISAF,
http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j1,FhtA7D&format=popup
ROLEX YACHTSMAN AND YACHTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
(Friday, February 25) New York, NY - Paul Foerster (Rockwall, Texas), Kevin
Burnham (Miami, Fla.) and Jody Swanson (Buffalo, N.Y.) have garnered plenty
of media attention for their sailing accomplishments over the past decade,
but today the athletes glowed in the national spotlight as US Sailing's
Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. Honored with the sport's
highest accolade at a luncheon in Manhattan at the New York Yacht Club,
Foerster, Burnham and Swanson accepted engraved Rolex timepieces, symbols
of outstanding on-water achievement in the calendar year just concluded.
Foerster and Burnham were recognized for their gold medal performance at
last summer's Olympic Games in Athens in the Men' 470 event, Swanson for
her impressive win of the Lightning North American Championship where she
topped a fleet of 103 boats. - US Sailing, http://www.ussailing.org
Photos at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/05/rolex
AWARD WINNER
Samson Rope received the 2004 SAIL Magazine Freeman K. Pittman Editors'
Award for the best new running rigging product of the year. Samson ICE™, a
heat resistant cover for performance sailboat running rigging, was
recognized for incorporating the characteristics of product excellence and
technical innovation that were valued by Freeman Pittman, former editor of
SAIL Magazine. ICE™ is a unique heat resistant cover that was designed to
mate with Samson's high performance 12-strand single braid ropes. It's
unique blend of Vectran® and Zylon® help to prevent heat buildup and also
provides additional wear protection. - http://www.samsonrope.com
FARR 40 PRE-WORLDS
(Saturday, February 26) Neville Crichton surprised a few people, including
himself, by winning the Rolex Farr 40 Pre-Worlds in Sydney today. Crichton
and Team Shockwave have competed in just one Farr 40 event in the past 12
months, so they had not figured as a potential winner of the Rolex Farr 40
Worlds which begin Tuesday.
With another Aussie boat, Ichi Ban, taking 2nd overall, there are genuine
hopes of seeing a home victory in the Worlds next week. Perhaps some teams
are keeping their powder dry for the big championship next week. Many will
be hoisting new sails next week, and subtle changes like this could see a
change in the pecking order. But 'new boy' Neville Crichton has certainly
established himself as a contender, while other more fancied skippers have
struggled. - http://www.regattanews.com
1. Team Shockwave, Neville Crichton (AUS) 8-4-2-5-14-1-6, 40 points
2. Ichi Ban, Matt Allen (AUS) 22-7-3-2-4-7-2, 47
3. TWT, Marco Rodolfi (ITA) 2-1-5-14-22-6-3, 53
4. Barking Mad, Jim Richardson (USA) 3-17-9-12-1-8-5, 55
5. Nerone, Mezzaroma/ Migliori (ITA) 4-5-1-29-7-16-4, 66
6. Warpath, Steve and Fred Howe (USA) 12-25-4-10-2-5-10, 68
For complete results: http://www.cyca.com.au
CLARIFICATION
(We were curious if ISAF's recent position to not give endorsement to
recognizing kite powered crafts as holders of the outright World Sailing
Speed Record would roll over to other records, such as whether Mari Cha
IV's transatlantic record would have been ratified if they had used a kite
sail. John Reed, Secretary for the World Speed Sailing Record Council,
provided the following clarification.)
When, at the ISAF Conference in November 2004, we asked for clarification
whether a kite surfer could claim the outright record; we did so because
"kitesurfing" as a sporting discipline was not under the auspices of ISAF.
ISAF have recently ruled that at present the answer is no.
It is important to note that ISAF's decision concerns the World Sailing
Speed Record (the outright speed record) only. This decision does not
extend to "sail area records" or any Offshore records. So the answer to
your question is that Mari Cha IV would have been able to fly a kite
without invalidating her record claim. - John Reed
ORANGE II
(Sunday, February 27) Bruno Peyron called Race Headquarters this evening
(Sunday) GMT to announce that the maxi-catamaran Orange II had just had a
violent collision with a whale or an orca whilst making between 25 and 30
knots off the Argentinean coast. It was between 1700 and 1800 GMT, when the
boat hit a big sea creature, initially with the port daggerboard, then with
the rudder.
The appendages do not seem to be broken and all of them will be carefully
tested in two days time, as soon as the weather conditions enable the boat
to be brought to a stand still and a diver to be sent under the hull.
Aboard Orange II, the debate is on as to what decisions to make and when?
Peyron: 'Remove and repair the rudder? Possible, but how will we get it
back on?
'Finish the record attempt with a single rudder? Possible, but at a reduced
pace! It's a shame that it's the port rudder which was hit as three
quarters of the round the world is on port tack (with the starboard rudder
being more important than the other) and the final quarter of our voyage
must be raced on starboard tack, that means with the port rudder!' -
http://www.maxicatamaran-orange.com/archives/?op=show_article&id=975&lang=En
(Monday, February 28) Orange II, the maxi catamaran, is continuing to climb
back up the South Atlantic at an average speed of 26 knots off the coast of
Argentina and heading towards the north east, accompanied by favourable
winds, which have been following her since she rounded the Horn on Friday
night. On Saturday, Bruno Peyron's crew passed the Falklands, and today
(Sunday GMT) on their 35th day at sea, are more than a week ahead of the
outright round the world record.
Monday at 00:50 GMT, the distance covered in the previous 24 hours was 563
nm, with 6,034.60 nm to go. Orange II is 3,910 ahead of the Jules Verne
record, and 2,774 ahead of the absolute record held by Cheyenne. -
http://www.maxicatamaran-orange.com
YET ANOTHER GREAT VICTORY
Ockam Instrument would like to congratulate David Janes and Jay Steinbeck
and their crew on the R/P 78 Scout Spirit for sailing a fantastic race to
take First Overall in the 1,125-mile 2005 Puerto Vallarta Race. This great
accomplishment combined with the stellar efforts of Titan XII and Thin Ice
in the Jamaica Race earlier in February make for another great month of
Ockam victories. These competitive yachts have one thing in common. The
superior processing power and advanced Matryx graphical display technology
that only Ockam Instruments can offer. Ockam. We have solutions for
everyone. Contact mailto:lat@ockam.com
BEFORE THE RECORD RUN
(Curmudgeon's Comment: Here is an interview with Gilles Ollier that took
place during the construction of Orange II, which his firm designed. The
Gilles Ollier Design Team previously designed the three catamaran
sisterships Club Med, Innovation Explorer, and Team Adventure that competed
in The Race.)
Q- Why a catamaran?
Gilles Ollier- First of all, that's what the skipper asked for. But also
because our race results and latest studies lead us to suggest this
configuration, in view of the sailing programme the boat is built for. The
catamaran option was retained as for the same level of power, a catamaran
is longer. Remember that length is an essential factor when it comes to
average speed.
Generally speaking, we have built a bigger boat, finer and higher above the
water than the "Club Med" generation to prevent the boat from being slowed
down by the waves. She is also stiffer so that the sail plan can be more
efficient.
Q- What speeds do you hope to reach with this boat?
Gilles Ollier- Although speed is an important element for a racing boat, we
devoted much more time concentrating on average rather than maximum speed.
With the old generation, top speed was around 43 knots, whereas the
potential of this new catamaran is in excess of 45 knots. But we are not
encouraging ourselves to push the boat above 40 knots, as beyond speed
becomes dangerous. Never the less, the 700 miles (1296 km) per day
threshold should be exceeded with this catamaran.
Complete interview at Sailhead.com:
http://www.bowmansunion.com/portal/news/anmviewer.asp?a=1054&z=1
NEWS BRIEFS
* Max Skelley, with crew Chris Crockett, Doug Fisher, Jeff Linton and Tim
Hodgkiss, topped the 45-boat fleet at the 2005 J/24 Midwinter Championship,
winning by just .33 points over Anthony Kotuon's team from the Virgin
Islands. With no throw-outs, Skelley managed to sail a clean series while
Kotoun suffered from two Z-flag penalties. The regatta was hosted by the
Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, FL. Top-five finishers: 1. Max Skelley/
Chris Crockett, 48; 2. Anthony Kotoun, 48.33; 3. Chris Snow 70; 4. Chris
Zaleski/ Waldek Zaleski ,75; 5. John Mollicone, 82. Complete results:
http://midwinters.j24d10.org
* After Doug Baker's high-tech Magnitude 80 became the first Racing
Division entry to finish at 10:00pm Wednesday night in Del Rey Yacht Club's
18th biennial Corum International Yacht Race, and with only six of the
original 10 Racing Division entries having completed the 1,125 nautical
miles from Marina del Rey, CA, it still remained to calculate the corrected
handicap time for the overall class winners. Thursday was beat the clock
day, and Scout Spirit in PHRF-AA and overall, Beau Geste in PHRF-A and
Chicken Little in PHRF-B were the winners. Complete standings:
http://www.yachtracersonline.com/dryc/pv05/pv05.html
* It's a case of the rich getting richer as Doha 2006 thumps across the
Southern Ocean heading for Cape Horn during the Oryx Quest 2005. At the
06:00 GMT poll on Sunday morning Doha 2006 was a shade under 3,000 miles
west of the infamous landmark, but eating up the ocean at a huge rate of
knots. The instant poll data shows that the boat speed on the Qatari
catamaran has not dropped below 20 knots for the last 40 hours. Cheyenne
and Daedalus are 400+ miles behind, with Geronimo back in the race but now
needing to overcome a 2,000 miles deficit. - Event website, full story,
http://www.oryxquest.com
* Leg 4 of the Global Challenge started in style Sunday from Sydney Harbour
with Team Stelmar leading the twelve boat fleet across the start line first
on their way to Cape Town, South Africa. The yachts enjoyed 14-15 knots of
wind from just east of south, with dramatic grey clouds and an overcast
sky; a reminder of what lies ahead over the next 40 days. - Event website,
http://www.globalchallenge2004.com/en
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http://www.teamvanguard.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 Charles J. Doane: Brian Hancock is absolutely right. Bruce Schwab
deserves all the accolades we can muster in recognition of his achievement.
He has, with an excess of grace and good will, persevered in the face of
enormous challenges that, I suspect, might easily have daunted many of the
other well-funded competitors in the Vendee Globe. In applauding Bruce we
should also honor the memory of Mike Plant, who gave his life in pursuit of
this same grail back in 1992 (thanks, ironically, to another one of those
keels that refused to stay attached to its boat). Bruce's success, I think,
makes Plant's sacrifice seem that much more meaningful.
* From Mike Warren: (Regarding the recent ISAF position to not give
endorsement to recognizing
kite powered crafts as holders of the World Sailing Speed Record) The
sailing establishment went through the same level of angst when the marconi
rig was first used, and the first boat showed up with two hulls. I was
director of ProSail back in the days when we were trying to develop a
professional sport, and we met the same resistance to change. There was a
lot of trauma when the first corporate logo appeared on our sails. But now,
advertising is accepted, on the water judging is commonplace, race
committee communications with the competitors is the norm, and staging
races so people can actually watch them is enthusiastically accepted. In
the early 90's, these were radical concepts. In the 2010's, kite sailing,
too, will be...well...acceptable.
* From Spencer Ogden: Lightweight dinghies with trapeze's compared with
keel boats are even more extreme than kite boarding. It's evolution. Should
the I-14s have banned trapeze's because it was like hiking 'on steroids'.
You are welcome not to race against boats or boards with kites, or get your
local Race Association to ban them, but a worldwide ban is going way too
far, unless we are going to chuck out water ballast, canting keels, and
foils. These technologies are what has made the last few years of sailing
development interesting. Imagining there is such thing as too much
innovation can only lead to trouble.
* From Dave Tew: Growing up, I sailed on Wianno Seniors, a 25' gaff-rigged
sloop sailed by several clubs on the southern Cape Cod shoreline bordering
Nantucket Sound. One weekend I was invited to crew with a group of three
(hot!) sisters on their boat. The wind was uncharacteristically light and
fluky on the morning of the race, so I called the Nantucket Island airport
(ACK) to see what the conditions were like offshore to the southeast. The
report I got from them persuaded me to advise the girls to take an offshore
flyer at the start of the afternoon race, southeast toward Nantucket, while
the rest of the fleet took an easterly tack along the Cape shore out of the
current. Midway up the long first leg, a line of breeze filled in from the
south and we tacked solidly into a golden lead. I was a 'young god' for the
rest of that race, let me tell you! My mother did complain when the next
phone bill showed a long distance call to the Nantucket airport, because
she certainly didn't make. It was worth it, though.
* From Frank Laursen: If my memory serves me correctly, does it not state
in the international rules of the road that a vessel under the power of the
wind has the right away? If we allow the engine classes to interfere with
the proper rules, what will be next? All the vessels that do the
round-the-world completions are required to have close proximity alarms on
board and several backups. I do realize that these machines can and do miss
things sometimes, but in general have a good record and at night it is
generally relied upon any ways, so I fail to see what all the worry is about.
* From Rodney C. Glover: Your news item on Buzz Lamb appropriately dealt
with his accomplishments in his beloved Snipe Class, and its members
clearly owe him a debt of gratitude. However, I would like to add the voice
of an old Thistle Class sailor to the paeans of praise for this wonderful
man. I knew, liked, and respected him as much as any person in sailing.
Thirty years ago we worked together in the group that first organized the
One Design Class Council. It was a difficult time for one design sailing.
Most classes were hemorrhaging members, and those that weren't were about
to. It was the hope of the group that the new ODCC, using the resources of
then NAYRU, could help to reverse this trend. With his folksy, down home,
laid back manner he was universally liked and respected, but he always
stood up for what he felt was right. The group often disagreed, but Buzz
was the glue that held it together. His positions were never parochial. He
always represented the Snipe Class extremely well, but secure in the
knowledge he was representing a strong class with a wonderful boat, he
always took the position that was what was right for small boat sailing as
a whole was what was right for his class. He kept the group together, and
bears a great deal of the credit for whatever was accomplished in those
days. A truly wonderful person.
CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
You're getting older when it takes twice as long to look half as good.
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