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SCUTTLEBUTT 2236 - December 5, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday, with support provided by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, Defender of the 32nd America's Cup (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). BOOMING Sitting at the Scuttlebutt editor's desk in Southern California, we don't see a lot of people lining up to build new race boats. However, in other parts of the world, things seem to be really booming. In the December issue of the UK's Seahorse magazine, editor Andrew Hurst reported, "We have run out of space on the Seahorse 'Build Table' so prolific are the new raceboats being commissioned. Pretty much everywhere you look there are new giant tris, Class 40s (what a success story that is, well done to Patrice Carpentier and his chums) TP52s, Mini 6.5s, IRC specials and GP42s. And that's not counting the hundreds of skilled people involved today in building the final round of ACC launches for Valencia 2007." And then Scuttlebutt got an e-mail from Roger Marshall, the U.S. Editor of The Yacht Report, who reported, "The entire large yacht market is booming with most builders not able to deliver a yacht over 30 m LOA before 2010 to 2012. In some unique cases owners are signing for a larger yacht when they take delivery of their present yacht. Our analysis at The Yacht Report magazine shows that there are 569 yachts (sail and power) over 30 m overall under construction around the world for delivery up to 2012. The world's largest sailing vessel is the three-masted Maltese Falcon with its unique rig at 289 feet overall. Mirabella V is the world's largest single-masted sloop at 247 feet. For professional sailors there are many jobs available in this sector of the yachting market. Scuttlebutt readers can find out more about this market by going to http://www.synfo.com or http://www.theyachtreport.com. THE END OF THE ROAD The announcement that Mike Golding will not continue in the Velux 5 Ocean race was not entirely unexpected but was no doubt a considerable blow to the race organization. The first leg has now seen the removal two top competitors and two thirds of the English interest in the event, with Golding and Thomson also forming the main realistic opposition to the race leader, Bernard Stamm of Switzerland. A high level of media interest had been produced by the two British sailors as they chased Stamm (who survived the storm shortly after the start without docking) and was building an interesting contest until the keel of Thomson's Hugo Boss failed, and then Ecover's mast snapped, just after Golding had picked up Thomson from his stricken boat. This left defending champion Stamm to take the first leg and apparently without close potential competition for the two remaining legs of the circumnavigation. Stamm now has a huge lead of 968 miles over the second placed Kojiro Shiraishi of Japan, with the others out of sight. Shirashi, who also did not need to dock, should finish second into Fremantle in approx three days time and then there will be a long wait for the remaining three competitors, Robin Knox-Johnson (GBR), Graham Dalton (NZL) and Unai Basurko (ESP) - Likely to arrive around Christmas time. - Sail-World website, full story: http://tinyurl.com/yfxj4h Velux 5 Oceans website: http://www.velux5oceans.com PERSPECTIVE (The Scuttlebutt poll last week regarding the review time for a Rule 69 hearing brought forth a case from July 25, 1999, wherein Adam Bennett was physically attacked during a race. In his case, it took US Sailing nearly one year to decide on the penalty. Below is Bennett's post from the Scuttlebutt Forum.) "Over 6 years ago a very similar incident happened to me. In fact it also happened in Lasers and by accounts of this event, it is also action for action (by the way my incident was also reported in Scuttlebutt). The fact of the matter is that once a competitor steps off his vessel to attack another sailor, not only is he committing a gross breach of the Fair Sailing rule, but he is also acting in an illegal way. A way that if the authorities were contacted would have the attacking sailor put in jail. If the attacking sailor refuses to show up to the scheduled protest, they should have no voice and the protest should go on as scheduled. The least he (the attacking sailor) could do is submit a document describing their story. There is no need to be accommodating regarding such a matter. In my case, the attacking sailor was thrown out of US Sailing for 3 years! In hindsight, I don't know if that was too much time but at the time it wasn't enough. Our sport does not need sailors who, in a fit of rage will seek physical violence. It is unsportsmanlike, and most of all, unsafe. US Sailing can do what they will, but if the attacked sailor is serious, a call to the police is in order. US Sailing should give the attacking sailor a lifetime ban. No matter how good this sailor thinks he is, he most certainly isn't worth the time and effort of our community and we should get rid of such black-eyes like this." * If you are interested in reading up on this case, the following back issues in the Scuttlebutt Archives have reports and comments from the incident: Issue 604, July 10, 2000: http://tinyurl.com/yhh3yh Issue 606, July 17, 2000: http://tinyurl.com/yat8eq ATTENTION MEN Warning: Last minute shopping might be difficult this year. Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday - is anyone there to ship your online order?? Play it safe and buy the special edition necklace by Diana Hall, presented online by Hall Spars & Rigging. It's a carbon-fiber star suspended on a sterling silver neck wire. Women love the stylish star shape and you'll appreciate the high-tech, autoclave-cured carbon fiber. Diana hand cuts and finishes the star from carbon we've processed the same way we make Cup spars. Delivered in a keepsake tin. Just add a bow. www.hallspars.com TECHNOLOGY You can say wind is wind, and water is water, but the difference in solving the myriad of tactical details in dinghies and in grand prix boats is vast. With the advent of electronics, these two worlds could not be further apart. When considering this, we thought of Terry Hutchinson, currently the tactician for Emirates Team New Zealand. It wasn't that long ago when Terry had twice earned himself College Sailor of the Year honors ('89, '90), dominating the dinghy racing with little more than his wits and his hiking boots. Fast forward now to the America's Cup, an unmatched part of the sport when it comes to the information available to a tactician. Scuttlebutt asked Terry about the differences between us (with minimal electronics) and the America's Cup boats. Determining the favored end of the start line: Minimal electronics - Run the line, get the compass bearing, and add 90 degrees. Then go head to wind to get the true wind heading, and compare the two. Without a compass, go head to wind, where the bow will be pointing closer to the favored end. A-Cup - In the Cup boat we use GPS pings on each end of the starting line, which are backed up by the hand-bearing compass, then compared to the true wind heading. The final check is during the start, when we're sitting head to wind in the dial-up, and we seek out a visual to confirm the favored end.just like when I sailed in college. Determining the favored side of the course: Minimal electronics - Stand up in the boat and look for the side of the course with stronger wind, and then factor in any other variables that have been personally observed (land effects, current, etc). A-Cup - Within a Cup program, we have a weather team as well as weather buoys scattered across the racecourse, all giving us wind speed and direction at 6 meters height. On the boat there are computers that gather the information prior to racing, which then is analyzed and deciphered by the on-board weather strategist. This person feeds me/tactician the information to help identify the anticipated first shift, phasing of the shift, and best pressure. It is somewhat complex, and yet we still use a fair amount of looking around. Whenever in doubt, we go with what we see on the boat and from the man up the rig. -- Read on for the full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/1117 LINE HONOURS Of the 83 boats entered in this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, the three 100 footers competing are unquestionable favourites to win the prestigious battle for line honours. Of these, Bob Oatley's 30 metre long Reichel Pugh maxi, Wild Oats XI, is certainly the bookie's choice having last year been only the second boat ever to earn the race 'triple' - winning line honours, handicap honours and setting a new race record. But don't overlook Grant Wharington's Skandia and New Zealanders Charles St Clair Brown and Bill Buckley's Maximus, or the Volvo Open 70 ABN Amro One skippered by Mike Sanderson. Sanderson is playing down his prospects of line honours. "Prospects - we've got two 100-footers which are going to beat us to Hobart unless something fairly radical happens," he said. "I guess if it got really nasty we could be in with a shot, probably from any point of sail. We certainly know the boat well and know what it can take, while they [the other maxis] may be a bit more ramped up for the Med." - For the full list of nominated yachts: http://www.rolexsydneyhobart.com PLANNING AHEAD A successful America's Cup challenge by Emirates Team New Zealand next year will prompt a scramble to balance the demands of playing host for a cup regatta and opening the western waterfront area to the public. Since the cup was lost in Auckland in 2003, the land owners of the western reclamation and Wynyard Pt Tank Farm have hatched a redevelopment plan which includes Syndicate Row - where the former Team New Zealand and their challengers had their bases. The team's building is one of only six bases left from the heady days of 2000 and 2003 when Viaduct Harbour sparkled with superyachts and Aucklanders and international visitors flocked to the Cup Village to cheer the racing boat crews. Four bases were cleared away for a luxury apartment development in the Lighter Basin. Now the ranks of lofty sheds face further thinning, with plans for a bridge to connect downtown Quay St with the western side of Viaduct Harbour and a proposed marine events precinct and an entertainment precinct at Jellicoe St. The Auckland City Council's general manager of city development, John Duthie, said the bridge would go from Te Wero Island across the viaduct's channel and through one of the bases on the western side to align with Jellicoe St. The base in the road is the one used by Alinghi, the successful Swiss challengers. He said a bridge would be for pedestrians at first but eventually it would carry buses. -- Wayne Thompson, NZ Herald, full story: http://tinyurl.com/yd7a9g NEW PRODUCTS AND COLORS The Camet clothing line keeps growing, which now includes T-shirts for kids. With sailing graphics in a variety of colors, these new shirts are perfect gifts for young and future sailors. The Camet Padded Sailing Shorts continue to be found all over the world, and now the leading teams combine the shorts with the Camet Code Zero Shirts. Made out of a breathable fast drying fabric, the Code Zero Shirts also have a UVA certification (97.5%) for sun protection. View all the Canvas Shorts/ Pants, Mylar bags, Coolmax shirts, Rashguards, Neoprene shirts, Padded Vests, Dry Erase boards at http://www.camet.com SAILING SHORTS * Jim Madden's new canting keel R/P 66 Stark Raving Mad III totally dominated the 149-boat Sinnhoffer Hot Rum Regatta held over three weekends at San Diego YC. Second place overall, 22 points back, went to the other end of the rating spectrum -- Aaron Strum's Wylie Wabbit with its 150 PHRF rating. Chuck Nichols' J/120 CC Rider took third overall with Will Stout's Etchells Wild Bunch in fourth place and Wings, Dennis & Sharon Case's J/105, taking fifth overall. In addition to his several trophies, Madden will likely also get a brand new PHRF rating for 2007. -- http://www.sdyc.org * Vince Brun returned to the Star class in grand fashion, winning the 17-boat Commodore's Cup at the Coral Reef Yacht Club, Miami, Florida. Sailing with Brad Nichol (Andy Horton is in Valencia) Brun scored a two point win over Peter McChesney/ Shane Zwingleberg, with Augie Diaz/ Phil Trinter finishing third. -- http://www.starclass.org/search.cgi?Action=view&Event_id=1122 * He has sailed in the Olympics twice, in Sydney and in Athens. Now, the Tornado sailor Martin Strandberg, 31, has been hired to Victory Challenge's sailing team as a link between the afterguard and weather teams. "Hiring Martin is an important relief for the afterguard in general and the strategist in particular," said skipper Magnus Holmberg. "During the two-boat training, he can in addition jump in as a strategist, which is good for his role when the competitions begin again in April, since he is supposed to be onboard until five minutes before the warning signal." * Application for entry for the 2007 Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race is now open online. Monohulls in the biennial cruising yacht race start Friday, June 15, 2007 in Buzzards Bay near Marion Massachusetts. The cruising multi-hulls will start on Saturday, June16th. Plans are well underway for the 30th Anniversary Race including expanded festivities in Bermuda. While you are at on the web site, sign up for Race Updates to receive the latest information on the race. http://www.marionbermuda.com * All set for the 48 boats competing at the 2006 Tornado World Championship in San Isidro, Argentina. 48 Tornados from 20 Nations have finished Registration and Measurement for the 2006 Tornado World Championship that is taking place at the Club Nautico San Isidro, San Isidro, Argentina. The sailors can expect a high level of competition - nothing less than 13 Olympic Medalists and 10 World Champions are going to compete for the 2006 World title. Pictures at event's webpage: http://tornado2006.cnsi.org.ar/ * In an effort to show their support for Andy Horton's and Brad Nichol's Olympic campaign in the Star class, a group of LNR Partners, Inc. Associates in conjunction with Bilzin Sumburg, Krieger Watch Corporation and Cohen Financial stepped-out in top fashion Sunday night in a fundraiser at the Coconut Grove Sailing Center. The In total, the event generated over $13,000 for Team-Horton Nichol. The team's here in the US, and on the international circuit solidifies their continued lock on the #1 spot on the US Olympic Sailing Team for the second consecutive year. -- www.hortonnichol2008.com * World record setting sailor Steve Fossett's next major project is to raise the Absolute Land Speed Record of 763 mph set in 1997. Fossett's dart-like vehicle is 47 feet long and weighs 9,000 lbs, looking much like a single-seat jet fighter without its wings. Power is from a single, after-burning J-79 turbojet developing 22,650 lbs of thrust (45,200 hp) formerly fitted to a USAF F-4 Phantom fighter-bomber. The car was originally designed and built by five-time land speed record-holder Craig Breedlove, and is currently undergoing modifications to be ready for record attempts planned on a Nevada dry lake next July through October. -- http://www.stevefossett.com 'BUTTHEADS GET ALL THE DEALS... 15% off for mentioning you're a 'Butthead when you shop Onne van der Wal's online gallery of spectacular yachting photography. Prints from regattas, tropical harbors, beaches, the poles - and beyond. Available in all shapes and sizes - they're perfect holiday gifts. Don't forget the 2007 Wall calendar! http://www.vanderwal.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or simplicity (letters shall be no longer than 250 words). You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Russel H. Nutter, Jr.: Quite a few years ago, I was involved with a group of gentleman from around the world who truly loved sailing. Only a few of them actually drove their own boats. They loved the competition and the organization required to compete. Some of them likened it to owning a professional sports team where they could be on the field of play. Curmudgeon's Comment: If memory serves me, Russ was the Executive Director of the International 50s class which played a big role in shaping professional sailing on the world-wide level. * From Bruce Bates, Durham, NH: As a sailor who has raced and cruised for over 50 years, will someone please explain to me what the fun is in sitting in the main hatch and watching professionals drive your boat? I would rather come in last over and over and have the satisfaction of having done my best on my own than pay people to race for me. Curmudgeon's Comment: Rather than reinvigorate this thread in the newsletter, we are going to close it for now. However, we have posted Bruce's letter in the Scuttlebutt Forum, and would welcome further discussion there: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/2006/1204 * From John Harwood-Bee: Re Waterskiing. In the mid 1970s, whilst sailing our Tornado off Brightlingsea, UK (big Tornado country) I witnessed another Tornado towing a skier at some speed and heard stories in the club of this being something of a local trick. Whether they pulled out of deep water or handed over I never established but it was an interesting sight and a rarity back then. CURMUDGEON'S CONFESSIONS My first job was working in an orange juice factory, but I got canned. I simply couldn't concentrate. Special thanks to Hall Spars & Rigging, Camet Intl., and Onne van der Wal. Scuttlebutt is also supported by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, the Defender of the 32nd America's Cup. |
