SCUTTLEBUTT No. 969 - December 20, 2001
Scuttlebutt is a digest of yacht racing news of major significance; commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American emphasis. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
(The Associated Press did a piece about building USA65 and USA67 for Craig McCaw' OneWorld America's Cup challenge. Here's a brief excerpt.)
McCaw's Kirkland-based OneWorld challenge is being constructed in a warehouse in Sedro-Woolley, a small town about 60 miles north of Seattle. A team of 25 is building the two 80-foot carbon-fiber boats from scratch, even creating an enormous oven to bake the hulls. In January, the first of the boats will be shrink-wrapped and shipped to Auckland, New Zealand, where it will be assembled and launched.
OneWorld hopes superior computer technology and good design will give it an edge on the water. Three Microsoft engineers are volunteering hundreds of hours to create a computer program to monitor weather, performance and wear and tear on the boat. The program will be used to improve speed during trial races.
Like the other America's Cup contestants, OneWorld is jealously guarding its design innovations. For an article published Monday in the Eastside Journal, OneWorld asked that photographs be taken only from certain angles so the images wouldn't tip off the competition.
Inside the warehouse, boat builders, some dressed in white overalls and wearing dust masks, worked feverishly to put the finishing touches on the first boat. To build the boats, workers use foam and wood molds to shape two skins of carbon fiber. The skins are used to sandwich an aluminum honeycomb core. The core resembles steel wool, but doesn't change shape even when stood upon. The resulting hull, less than an inch and a quarter thick, is both light and strong. The finished racing boats are stripped bare of everything but essential equipment. - AP
Full story: www.nwcn.com
INJURIES
(The website for the djuice dragon Volvo Ocean Race team has a piece by Emma Sutcliffe about racing injuries. Here's an excerpt.)
The most common complaint from on board was shoulder and lower arm problems caused by steering the boat. It is these stress-related injuries that are damaging as they creep up slowly and are often not dealt with properly.
"This crew has been well trained so there were less shoulder/elbow problems that I would have feared considering the monotony their bodies endure," says consulting doctor from Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sverre Maehlum. "Recovery is quick, due to their training. We continually monitor their condition and take even the smallest complaints seriously."
Says Team doctor Maja Storiede, "All injuries, big or small are taken seriously. Those that focus on being careful and not just saying "it will go away" are the ones who will "survive". Four of the guys are in physio for minor overuse complaints and they are following it up which means their chances of enduring this race is good." In total agreement, Sverre states that each small injury that is not followed up on shore will become a large injury when on board.
"If you compare the sailor with an Olympic runner, it is not the exercise for the sailors that stands out, but the lack of sleep. Runners exercise much harder, but they sleep properly. These guys have no real sleep which is when the body repairs itself. They only "rest" in horrendous conditions on that boat so fatigue and overuse becomes the biggest enemy," says Sverre. - Emma Sutcliffe, djuice dragons website.
Full story: dragons.djuice.com
SALE
This month you can save 35% off the normal price of our new model "CONDOR" rubber overmolded grand prix aluminum 10" handle. Maxi-T or Single Grip. The perfect handle for any serious racer. Available only at selected USA stores. They're guaranteed for life. Normally $77.95 - buy today at $49.99. www.titanaustralia.com.au/condor/condorspecial.htm
SPEED COSTS MONEY
(Peter Rusch looks at the cost of Volvo Ocean Race campaigns on the race website. Here's a brief excerpt from his story.)
"I don't think anyone gets a program going for less than US $10-million," says Glenn Bourke, CEO of the illbruck Challenge. "We're at the top end of the spectrum . . . I think $30-million is close to the mark and we would be at the high end of spending in this race. Some of that will transfer over to the America's Cup, but most of it is dedicated to the Volvo Ocean Race."
"For the entire Assa Abloy project it's about a US $15-million commitment over the three or four years of the project, which is a lot of money," admits Richard Brisius, Project Director of the Assa Abloy campaign. "But per year, while it's still huge money, for Assa Abloy - per employee - it's like a Christmas lunch. So for them it's a fantastic investment in the organization and more and more companies are doing this as much for internal reasons (team building, hospitality) as for external reasons (brand awareness, marketing, PR)." - Peter Rusch, Vovo Ocean Race website
Full story: www.volvooceanrace.org
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON
leweck@earthlink.net
(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 or a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.)
* From Sarah Ashton (In response to Alex Watters editorial on RULE 42 -Propulsion) I am neither blind nor am I over 60; have raced dinghies and have participated in on-the-water judging at the junior, college level and national level.
Just a little RRS review. Competitors in the sport of sailing are governed by a body of rules that they are expected to follow and enforce. A fundamental principle of sportsmanship is that when competitors break a rule they will promptly take a penalty or retire. By participating in a race conducted under these racing rules, each competitor and boat owner agrees to be governed by the rules.
I have always gone by the principle that our sport is meant to be "self-policing". The rule is set, the competitors know the rule, they break it or they don't. But Mr. Watters feels that we should develop a video tape of the "legal limit" of the Rule 42 and have instant replay to boot ( he suggests that violations must be taped for further review). I suggest that the coaches teach the rule, not the limits and that competitors realize that they are expected to follow and enforce the all rules that they are sailing under. But on the other hand if the competitors are unwilling to follow or enforce a rule, maybe that rule should be "overhauled" not videotaped.
Oh, by the way - I'm not buying a video camera any time soon.
* From Ted Ritter: Alex Waters suggestion of a Rule 42 Standards Tape is commendable. Many years ago, the then USYRU commissioned me to do just that and we did. Shot at Brown University, the USCG Academy and the Miami Olympic Center, the content and script was reviewed by judges from a number of countries for eventual adaptation by the then IYRU as well. Titled, as I recall, the Oooching, Pumping & Rocking-Rule?. Scenes showed both legal and illegal techniques aided by a carefully crafted narration. I was picked to produce this project because I was an ex-Laser Association administrator and Finn sailor.Ê
The impractical side of Alex's idea is a jury room comparison of the Standards video scenes to long lens amateur racecourse footage shot during regattas. Wobble cam shot from an inflatable 200 feet away cannot be measured against a optimally staged instructional set-up. The jury/protest room would need to be equipped with a TV, VCR and cabling to view from the on-the-water camera. Protests would drag on and the fun factor so often discussed here would suffer enormously.Ê
* From Tucker Thompson: When I was a single-handed Jr. sailor I once asked a World Champion how far to push kinetics. He answered that you should go so far as to be warned by the judges once per event. That way you are pushing the absolute envelope and getting all you can out of your boat. A good answer I guess, but that still doesn't defining where the Judges' opinion lies as Mr. Watters states. If ISAF, US Sailing, or other interested party would like to produce such a video, my partners and I are ready to go to work.
* From Terry McSweeney: In regards to Larry Ellison steering his ACC boat, I've never sailed with Larry Ellison so I cannot say that he is not qualified, but in comparison to Bill Koch on America 3, as I recall Bill Koch committed himself personally to the program, worked out daily with the crew and sailed daily with the crew. What he may have still lacked in ability was partially made up for with the "Z" legs that were forgiving and the technological advantage that America 3 had over all of the other competitors.
It seems that since '92 the top 3-5 competitors have caught up and now sail relatively equal boats. In the last LV series, when America One and Prada got into downwind heavy air luffing duels, I would not have wanted to have anyone less than a pro at the helm of the boat that I'm on. We all know that Oracle Racing is his program, and that Larry Ellison is in it to win and knows how to win. But for the sake of his crew that have committed 2-3 years of their life to winning the Cup with him, I hope if he plans to steer, that he plans to put in the time and effort that he expects from the rest of his team.
* From Ken Guyer: Yeah, Larry Ellison has the "right" to do what ever he wants with his money and his Cup team. Oracle Racing gathered a team together promising to do all it could to provide the resources necessary to win the Cup. He has an "obligation" to the members of Oracle Racing to put the best team forward on his boat. A helmsman does not just sit back and steer a boat. He/she is an integral part of a team. They are a part of the brain trust of the racing machine. They should have all the experience needed, and then some. Bluntly speaking, Larry Ellison does not have the sailing resume to qualify as a Cup sailor, let alone a helmsman.
Does anyone really believe his ability to run a big company, fly airplanes, get rich quick, and steer a rather fast boat to victory over other Maxi owner drivers prove he has the sailing talent to be at the helm of an AC yacht racing for the America's Cup? That notion is as ludicrous as believing Bill Koch or Baron Biche are in that category of sailors. They are the Dennis Conners, Paul Cayards, Chris Dicksons, Russell Coutts, Buddy Melges, Kenny Reads, and many many more of our sport. Not some wealthy egotist putting his needs and desires above what is best for those he convinced to come to his team and give their all to the goal of winning.
* From Joe Golberg: I wholeheartedly agree w/ Peter Huston's guest editorial regarding owner's sailing their own boats. It is refreshing to see people who sail and can afford to participate at the highest levels being personally involved. This is something that sets our sport apart from other Gran Prix or professional sports and should be encouraged by all of us.Ê
* From Tom Donlan: Years ago, protest committees pushed most sailors to conclude that they should operate under a real-life rule of "no flag (within 30 seconds), no foul." Regardless of how loudly the offended yacht may yell, and regardless of how flagrant the foul, most skippers believe they'd be nuts to do a 720 before seeing a flag , because they know that's the first question a jury asks. This was not an improvement in the sport, in my view. We have all heard of cases where flagrant fouls, even ones resulting in serious damage, have been dismissed because a protest flag was not flown quickly enough.
Now even a flag does not get results.
In one regatta last year, many boats in our fleet hoisted the protest flag, but only a few apparently offending boats did a 720 and even fewer protest s were filed, because skippers hauled down their protest flags or did not file written protests. Most said they did not want to take the time or accept the risk of going to the room , especially if the race, the regatta or silver did not depend on it.
Is this inevitable, or is it the fault of the new rules, or of some other correctable defect in the rules?
* From Dave Millett (re Dave Janes comments about the rules being sword and shield):
I couldn't agree more. In any sport that has a litany of rules and interpretations like sailing does the rules can be and should be used for both purposes. I have been taught more than one lesson and have taught a few too by knowing and not know the rules and when they apply. Maybe the rules are to complicated and maybe they can be simplified. But, part of the fun and part of the "Chess Match" that is sailing is being good at all of it, and all of it is knowing and using the rules as they exist to your benefit. Tacticians and especially match racers have known this for a long time. If you're not good at interpretation or don't understand the nuances, seek out your local judge and ask him/her to put on a seminar. Knowing the rules can win you those two or three extra races a year that can turn a average season into a great one. You owe it to your crew.
* From Jack Mallinckrodt: The clamor for simplified racing rules has a lot in common with the history of yacht handicapping rules. They always start out relatively simple. Then a loophole appears and is patched over. Over and over. Further loopholes start appearing in the Band-Aids and are patched up with Band-Aids on Band-Aids until the whole thing becomes hopelessly complicated and loopholes start appearing faster than they can be patched. Time for a new handicap rule.
That was pretty much the situation with the IYRU rules by 1996. Many of the rules were understandable only in the light of their supporting appeals and cases. In my opinion it was time for a new rule and the rules committee did a superb job of rewriting them in the major 1997-2000 revision. Not perfect of course, but a far cleaner baseline than previous.
Now as the final tweeks occur and the rule approaches steady-state, there comes a clamor for massive simplification. In my view, any such further significant simplification of the rules is misguided, will predictably run into the same facts of life, sooner not later, will inexorably end up another pile of Band-Aids, and will only confuse and delay the ultimate widespread understanding and application of the ISAF Rules.
SYDNEY TO HOBART RACE
Seventy four year old Syd Fisher says he can't remember a Boxing Day when he wasn't yachting. This year's Sydney to Hobart yacht race will be Syd's thirty-third and his fifth attempt at winning the race with his current boat Ragamuffin. "What else do you do on Boxing day!" he said.
But he admits, he has missed a couple of Sydney to Hobart's. "When I did the America's cup campaigns I might have missed one or two Sydney to Hobart's. When you do the America's cup it's full on. You've just got to ignore ocean racing at the time," he said.
As of the 2000 Telstra Sydney to Hobart Race, 46 yachtsmen had been recorded as having sailed in 25 or more Races since 1945. Richard Hammond (NSW) and John Bennetto (Tasmania) have each sailed in 40 Sydney to Hobarts while Lou Abrahams (Victoria) has sailed in 38 Races.
RACE STATISTICS
Number of yachts to have competed, 1945-2000: 4,505 (3,690 completing the race, 815 retiring).
Estimated total crew to have competed: Estimated 35,950 between 1945 and 2000.
Average size of fleets, 1945-2000: 80.44 boats per race.
Largest fleet: 391 starters in the 50th Race in 1994 (307 finished)
Smallest fleet: Nine starters in the inaugural Race in 1945.
SYDNEY - HOBART RACE RECORDS
1975: Kialoa (USA) - 2 days 14 hours 36 minutes 56 seconds.
1996: Morning Glory (Germany) 2 days 14 hours 07 minutes seconds.
1999: Nokia (Denmark/Australia) 1 day 19 hours 48 minutes 02 seconds.
Sydney to Hobart Race website, - s2h.tas.gov.au/2001/front.php
KWRW
If you're taking your boat to the Terra Nova Trading / Yachting Key West Race Week, now is the time to evaluate at your sail inventory to make sure you'll have the speed necessary for a podium finish. The pros at Ullman Sails will be happy to work with you to help provide those elusive tenths of a knot of boatspeed that make the difference. It's more affordable than you think. For the location of the nearest loft that can provide you with a price quote: www.ullmansails.com
TEAM TYCO
Team Tyco is back on the water in full force. The crew repaired the boat's rudder in record time and the team has launched into their rigorous sail testing and training program. Team Tyco will spend the rest of the week preparing for the next leg in the waters out past the picturesque Sydney Heads.
Team Tyco's Volvo Ocean 60 yacht arrived on Thursday 13th by container ship. After leading the fleet for four days on the Cape Town to Sydney leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, Team Tyco sustained major damage to their steering gear 650 miles into the Southern Ocean.
The team returned to South Africa where they assessed the degree of the damage and subsequently retired from leg two of the nine-stage race. Team Tyco earned one point for starting, but not finishing, the second leg of the race. www.teamtyco.com/teamtyco/index.jsp
SIR PETER BLAKE
* New Zealanders and yachting fans around the world mourning the death of Sir Peter Blake will be able to witness the Memorial Service via the world wide web. TVNZ's web portal, nzoom.com has announced that it will live stream TV ONE's coverage of the service, being held at the Auckland Domain on the morning of Sunday December 23.
TV ONE's coverage will start at 10.45am New Zealand Daylight Saving Time and will be hosted by ONE News presenters Richard Long and Judy Bailey. The website will also make the streamed coverage of the memorial service available on demand for people who aren't able to view it live.
Anyone wanting to make their own personal tribute to Sir Peter Blake can do so via nzoom.com's dedicated message board. Copies of the tributes will be presented to the Blake family and Team New Zealand. - nzoom.com
* Sir Peter Blake's children, Sarah-Jane and James, will speak at their father's memorial service at the Auckland Domain on Sunday, Prime Minister Helen Clark said today. Miss Clark said Sarah-Jane and James would speak at the service, as would she, Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright, Sir Hugh Kawharu, Douglas Myers and friends of Sir Peter. Brazil's Secretary of Sport, Lars Grael, would also speak. - NZ Herald
Full story: www.nzherald.co.nz
THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
|