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SCUTTLEBUTT 1537 - March 11, 2004
Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. 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 and personal attacks for elsewhere.
TWO DUTCH BOATS IN NEXT VOLVO OCEAN RACE
Amsterdam, The Netherlands - ABN AMRO will enter two boats in the next
Volvo Ocean Race, starting in Galicia, Spain in November 2005. Both boats
will be designed by Argentinian Juan Kouyoumdjian. Killian Bushe, the
Irishman living in Sweden who constructed illbruck - winner of the 2001-02
Volvo Ocean Race - will build both boats. It will be a three year project,
with a budget of approximately EUR 20 million.
ABN AMRO is selecting the best team possible and will work closely with the
Dutchman Roy Heiner, who sailed in this event in 1997-98 and 2001-02.
Relying on Heiner's knowledge and expertise of the sailing world, a project
plan has been written and the preparations have started. At this moment,
ABN AMRO is selecting a skipper. The ABN AMRO strategy to success is to
build and race two boats. Experience gained from the first boat will be
used in designing and building a second boat, giving it an optimal start.
Ultimately both boats will take part in the race.
ABN AMRO considers its participation in this top sporting event an ideal
opportunity to further strengthen its international brand awareness.
Besides this, qualities essential in this race, such as professionalism,
flexibility, teamwork and innovation match the bank's corporate culture.
Following last year's rebranding campaign of its major subsidiaries - Banco
Real, LaSalle Bank, Standard Federal Bank, Delbrück Bethmann Maffei, Alfred
Berg, Hoare Govett, Banque de Neuflize en Banque OBC - ABN AMRO wants to
further reinforce their brand worldwide. "The Volvo Ocean Race, which
visits almost all of the continents, emerged as an ideal candidate,
especially considering the range of commercial opportunities offered by
participating," said Tom de Swaan, Member of the Managing Board of ABN AMRO
and responsible for this project.
Speaking in Holland, Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Glenn Bourke, said, "Today's
announcement of two fully funded raceboats from ABN AMRO, in addition to
Pedro Campos with his Telefonica team from Galicia, confirms that the Volvo
Ocean Race is in good shape. We are 300 per cent up in terms of entries,
compared with this period in the previous race. With 20 months still to go
before the start of the event, we believe the signs are all positive from
the corporate community." - Lizzie Green, full story: www.volvooceanrace.org
THE TEAM
The Olympic Sailing Committee (OSC) of US Sailing has announced the team
which will represent the U.S.A. at the 2004 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF
(International Sailing Federation) World Championships. The championships
will be sailed July 8-17, 2004, in Gdynia, Poland, and is open athletes who
will not reach their 19th birthday in 2004. Racing will take place on the
Bay of Gdansk in the following classes (events): Hobie 16 (open
multihull)+ADs- Laser (boys singlehanded) and Laser Radial (girls
singlehanded)+ADs- International 420 (boys and girls doublehanded)+ADs- and
Mistral (boys and girls boardsailing):
- Girls Singlehanded: Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.)
- Boys Singlehanded: Reed Johnson (Tom+IBk-s River, N.J.)
- Girls Doublehanded: Leigh Kempton (Island Heights, N.J.) and Kaity
Storck (Huntington, N.Y.)
- Boys Doublehanded: Zach Brown and Graham Biehl (both San Diego, Calif.)
- Girls Boardsailing: Nancy Rios (Naples, Fla.)
- Boys Boardsailing: The U.S. will not have a competitor entered in this
event.
- Open Multihull: Harry Newkirk (Gulf Breeze, Fla.) and Tommy Fruitticher
(Pensacola Beach, Fla.)
The US Youth World Team is sponsored Rolex Watch, U.S.A. and Vanguard.
Suppliers to the Team are Extrasport, Gill North America, and Sperry
Top-Sider. Additional information on the U.S. team members:
www.ussailing.org/Olympics/YouthWorld/
500 ENTRIES
The semi finals of the Pindar Ocean racing competition, which received over
500 entries from all over the globe, will take place in London tomorrow
bringing 20 candidates one step closer to realizing their lifelong dream of
becoming the next ocean racing star. Pindar, a leading international print
and electronic media company, who sponsor British yachtswomen Emma Richards
and Hannah Mills launched the competition in December to add another member
to its already distinguished ocean racing team. The prize on offer for the
eventual winner will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to embark on an
intensive three year sailing programme. They will become part of the Pindar
team participating in some of the leading ocean races, sailing alongside
Emma Richards learning and competing on the world stage.
The competition, which was open to anyone between the ages of 16 - 23,
received entries from around the world. The short listed group of 20 flying
in from America, France and all around the UK, fought off over 500 other
hopefuls with their 250 word written entry which saw them gain selection to
the final stages. Throughout the day, at the Westminster Boating Base,
London, candidates will undertake a number of tests and interviews in order
for the panel to narrow this group down to a final 10. The last stage of
the selection process is a sail day with Emma Richards in April after which
a winner will be chosen. The competition has been set up in conjunction
with the RYA who will oversee the training process and the HSBC Education
Trust, for whom Emma works as an ambassador. - Victoria Fuller,
victoria@pitchpr.co.uk
ALCHEMISTS?
Hall Spars & Rigging turns carbon into silver. Alchemy (Andrews 77) set the
record and Medicine Man (Andrews 61) won overall in the 2004 Manzanillo
Race. Morning Glory (R/P 86) won in St. Maarten, with Rosebud (TP 52)
second, followed by Pyewacket (RP 86), Titan (RP 75), Chippewa (Swan 68).
Hall's scientific approach to spar design scrutinizes the interaction of
all performance elements: sail power and righting moment, rigging and gear,
mast and sail, owner and crew. Our combination of precision engineering and
unparalleled construction techniques results in potent carbon-spar packages
that win. Nothing magic about it.
http://www.hallspars.com
FOR THE RECORD
* The 33rd day of Cheyenne's Round the World record attempt saw Steve
Fossett and his team pointed in the right direction again - SE towards Cape
Horn - after several days of investment in a NE position to avoid the worst
of the gale to their South. They have covered 245 miles over the past 12
hours - every one of them towards the next waypoint. Cheyenne's lead over
the 2002 RTW position of Orange is now some 1900 - 2000 miles, but will
only increase if Fossett and crew can avoid further detours en-route to the
Cape. - http://www.fossettchallenge.com
* At the end of last night, the Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric trimaran
gibed once more and onto a heading for South Africa. Since Day 13 was spent
rounding the high pressure area, the point-to-point distance covered was
only average, not helped by the progressive shift and slackening of the
wind. The current record holder covered only 277 nautical miles on her day
13, leaving Geronimo still significantly ahead. In the early hours of
today, the northerly wind picked up a slight easterly component and a few
extra knots, allowing the trimaran to make for the southeast at over 20
knots. The forecasts as far as the Cape of Good Hope are good. Only the
wind direction, which will continue to move round to the west, offers any
threat to Geronimo's progress. A following wind full astern would mean
continual gibing to avoid being forced too far south and into the threat of
ice, which can occur as far north as 40°South on the same longitude as
South Africa. (Geronimo has sailed 368.55 nautical miles in 24 hours, at an
average speed of 15.36 knots)
For Geronimo's latest news: http://www.trimaran-geronimo.com
* Having retired from the Jules Verne Challenge on 3 March, Orange II,
Bruno Peyron's 120ft maxi-catamaran, has finally arrived back on shore. She
reached her technical base in Lorient at 1015 Wednesday morning. According
to Peyron the boat will be taken out of the water within the next few days
to allow an inspection of the starboard S Drive, which suffered damage and
forced the crew to retire. Chatting about the current situation Peyron
said: "It's still too early to talk about the further developments of our
campaign. For the time being, the Jules Verne clock stopped ticking as far
as we're concerned, and the whole crew is concentrating on organizing the
repairs necessary to put our giant back on the tracks, at 100 per cent of
her potential. - Yachting World,
http://www.yachting-world.com/
QUOTE / UNQUOTE
I don't really know what I'm going to be doing in the near future or even
in the long term. I still have Adrien at my disposal for another year and a
half, and I'm planning to have some more adventures aboard her. Not around
the world, of course, as that's all over now. But there are other
challenges that can be attempted without venturing into the Southern Seas.
- Jean Luc Van den Heede, new single-handed, non-stop, round the world
against the winds and currents record holder. http://www.vdh.fr/gb/
BACARDI CUP
Miami, FL With the best wind of the last four days, the British team of
Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell finished in first place redeeming themselves
from a first day race disqualification for an early start. The former World
champions took an early lead and held it through the finish line. Tuesday's
first place finishers, the Portuguese team of Alfonso Domingos and Bernardo
Santos, took second place and maintain their first position overall.
Australian World champions Colin Beashel and crew David Giles finished in
third place and are currently fourth overall. Former Olympians Mark
Reynolds and crew Steve Erickson made a comeback today with a fourth place
finish. Reynolds is in a two-way tie with Ding Schoomaker of Naples for six
Bacardi Cup wins.
"It was the shiftiest, toughest day yet. The wind favored the right and the
first 100 yards were really critical," said Skipper Howie Shiebler of San
Francisco. "The leaders today came out of the right." He and his crew Will
Stout move finished in eighth place today and move into third place overall.
Swedish World champion Freddy Loof and crew Anders Ekstrom and five-time
Bacardi Cup champion Vince Brun and his crew Mike Dorgan were among four
boats that did not start in today's race. Skipper Paul Cayard, a former
Whitbread Round the World Race winner and participant in five America's
Cups is bowing out of the race after a 12 place finish today to go home and
visit his family before the U.S. Olympic trials. The Bacardi Cup continues
through Friday, March 12. - Janet Maizner
Standings after four races without a discard:
1. Afonso Domingos & Bernardo Santos, POR, 17
2. Ross Macdonald & Mike Wolfs, CAN, 26
3. Howie Shiebler & Will Stout, USA, 43
4. Colin Beashel & David Giles, AUS, 44
5. Peter Bromby & Lee White, BER, 49
6. Flavio Marazzi & Enrico De Maria, SUI, 59
7. Michael Koch & Markus Koy, GER, 72
8. Andy Macdonald & Austin Sperry, USA, 77
9. Jali Makila & Erkki Heinonen, FIN, 77
10. Hans Spitzauer & Andreas Hanakamp, AUT, 81
Full results: http://www.bacardicup.com/press.asp
NEWS BRIEFS
* Cowes Yachting is behind a bid to persuade the World Class 12 Metre Yacht
fleet to come to Cowes to stage a major Regatta in 2006/7 when there are
plans for an ISAF Centennial World Championship. With an enormous amount of
goodwill among the 12 Metre owners following the 150th anniversary of the
America's Cup - the Jubilee Regatta in 2001 - there is a strong possibility
of success for a repeat visit of this spectacular fleet. Contacts have been
made with the Class Officers of the 12 Metre fleet in the United States and
interest is growing. info@cowesyachting.co.uk
* According to the French newspaper La Provence, a meeting was held today
in Marseille between AC Management and France Gamerre, the City delegate to
the maritime businesses. The object of the meeting was to examine and
discuss the organization of the first America's Cup pre-regatta which was
supposed to be organized at the beginning of September. "Six or seven Class
America are announced", concluded the report. A worrying number when one
remembers the Swiss' initial ambitions. - Cup in Europe website,
www.cupineurope.com/LatestNews/Orga8.htm
ACURA SORC 2004
Ullman Sails is proud to congratulate our owners and crews for their
outstanding performances at this year's Acura SORC Regatta held Feb 25
-29th in Miami, FL. PHRF, Division 2- 1st place: Roger Elloitt's J/120
"Crosswave" (Crosswave also captured the Florida Governors' Perpetual
Trophy for low point boat in PHRF); PHRF, Division 3- 1st place: Bob Berg's
"Love That Chicken"; J/105 Class, 1st place: Rich Bergman's "Zuni Bear";
2nd Place: Jim Doane's "Flame". If you are ready for "The Fastest Sails on
the Planet", call your nearest Ullman Sails loft or visit us online at
http://www.ullmansails.com
QUOTE / UNQUOTE - Meg Gaillard
"I was ultra-prepared (for the Olympic Trials) with my equipment so that a
breakdown would not be a source of worry. I had my sails for the Trials
tested, and put away by the end of December. Basically, by the time
Christmas came around, I knew exactly what equipment I was going to use and
it was proven. As per my coaches request, I even put my best boat away the
year before the Trials to ensure that I kept it in great condition." - Meg
Gaillard will compete in her first Olympics at the 2004 Games in Athens,
representing the USA in the Europe dinghy.
http://www.ussailing.org/Olympics/SailingMedallist/04v3/page5.htm
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com)
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 Andrew Vare (edited to our 250-word limit): To further, ahem, weigh
in on the Star class weight issue, I am obliged to report that I am a
member of a team that qualified for competition under the 2000 weight rules
but now are excluded from current competition, by about 40 pounds. After
much debate by the class over several years, it is what it is. Since the
(Star) boat is about 1500 lb. and the crew comprises nearly 20% of the
all-up sailing weight, a 40 lb difference may or may not be significant.
The problem becomes when lighter sailors point to us and say we're only
fast because we're big and strong, and they can "level the playing field"
by excluding us. Yes, more light people may be inclined to sail in a class
with a weight ceiling, but are they suited, in an absolute sense, to the
requirements of the yacht?
The reality is, lightweight skippers don't belong in such a high-powered
boat. Technically challenging like nothing else I've ever sailed, the Star
requires more concentration, fitness, agility and toughness than most can
muster at any weight. I hope that the class knows it has lost many
world-class competitors as a result of it's own misguided efforts to induce
lighter sailors to step up to a very powerful boat. It remains to be seen
whether this discriminatory and exclusionary practice will serve the Star
class well when the next Olympic selection talks are held.
* From Jim Robbins (edited to our 250-word limit): I've been reading the
discussion of weight limits and trying to find humor, but find that I just
can't resist throwing in another point of view. I started sailing at seven
years old, and have always been a big boy. In El Toros, it's really tough
to compete against other kids weighing 70 pounds when you weigh 90 pounds
in light air. In a breeze, you love life at 90 lbs. As I got older (and
bigger) I moved into keel boats and found that the skills I developed in El
Toros to stay close enough to see who won a light air race paid big
dividends. Moving up into one tonners in the 80s and early 90s, I found
myself bumping into weight limits. I was subjected to derisive comments at
weigh-ins about my success in big breeze because I was 280-290 pounds, but
then took great pleasure when we won in light air. The point is we all race
in a variety of conditions - sometimes it's light, sometimes it's breezy.
It still takes skill to be fast on the course regardless of size or wind
strength.
You want a real one-design challenge? Just for giggles, try weighing all
the boats and crews at a regatta, and ballast the boats so all the
crew/boat weights are the same. I know this would create other discussions
of inequalities (pitching and righting moments come to mind right away) but
I suggest this would equalize a lot of the perceived problems.
* From Joe McCoy: What about the lean and mean that spend their entire life
fit and slender? We are eliminated from successful competition in many
small boat fleets and yet we choose to stay fit. I have no sympathy for you
"fatties" out there. Put on your foulies and take off the feedbag. Fit
sailors are better sailors. Enjoy your meals boys and girls.
* From Tim Kent: Thank you for assembling the Scuttlebutt book list. The
fact is that Everest Horizontal would never have been born had I not read
Dove, Tinkerbelle, Sailing Around the World Alone, Kon Tiki and countless
other stories of mountains conquered, poles reached, LeMans racers speeding
and crashing, or mushers speeding through the woods. When I talk to groups
of parents about Everest, I joke that the only way to stop their children
from dreaming such dreams is to make them stop reading books.
Unfortunately, many of them have…mostly by allowing the dreams to be
rendered by Disney and MTV. My eleven year-old daughter is devouring the
adventure section of my home library and can speak with authority about the
death zone on Mount Everest as well as who Pete Goss rescued in the
Southern Ocean. It will be interesting to see where she goes.
* From Gonzo Diaz: Harrison Hine forgets the Snipe. The Snipe and the Snipe
class have lasted a long time and with a very strong organization. The
Snipe was designed by William Crosby in 1931. The Snipe class Constitution
was approved and ratified in 1932 and except for revisions duly debated and
approved by the Board for modernization, the Constitution has provided
stability and it remains the rock upon which Snipe sailing has grown.
Measurement is strictly enforced at all levels of racing: International,
Regional, and local.
A Commodore (President) with a one-year term (previously serves on the
Board for two years) and a Board of Directors that has term limits lead the
class. The International Snipe class has a paid executive director. A
National Secretary leads each country and a Fleet Captain leads each fleet.
The current Rule Book shows 4 female national secretaries, 2 female members
of the Board of Governors, and 1 female member of the Rules Committee. We
have an advantage over the Stars. The Snipe can accommodate wide range of
sizes, any age, and both sexes are competitive.
CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS
We've heard that Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell will merge and become
Fairwell Honeychild.
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