SCUTTLEBUTT No. 746 - February 7, 2001
Scuttlebutt is a digest of yacht racing news,
commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American
emphasis. Corrections, contributions, press releases and contrasting
viewpoints are always welcome.
VENDEE GLOBE
The Doldrums allowed Ellen MacArthur (Kingfisher) to dissolve the miles
behind Michel Desjoyeaux (PRB) and be queen for a day at the head of the
Vendˇe Globe fleet after 82 days at sea. However, 'The ProfessorÕ soon
snatched the reigns back from his young rival, thanks to his more
favourable position in the North West. He touched the sought after North
Easterly winds several hours before her and thus got going again earlier
than the British skipper.
Desjoyeaux assured the Race HQ today that he never had a doubt about this
turn of events. He has managed to accelerate gradually and create a 48-mile
lead over Ellen, both now heading Northwest. "The way out was to be in the
North and West of this phenomenon and that's why I got out first! I'm sure
the Doldrums are behind me now. I've been sailing at more than 9 knots for
a whole day."
In the North Easterly trades, the leading boats climbing Northwards will be
spending the next week heeled over upwind on one tack, in a constant search
for a good compromise between heading and boat speed. Manoeuvres are
thankfully rare in such conditions with a stable wind, and Desjoyeaux has
been boasting that his boat is so well balanced, that she has even been
sailing with the helm tied off. In his efforts to economise on his energy
consumption he has done this to minimise use of his autopilots.
His future is simplifying: "Right now I have to gain miles to the North as
quickly as possible. In 3 Š 4 days time we'll know more from the weather
files and then adopt a strategy for the Azores anticyclone. The forecasts
aren't so reliable that far ahead." Ellen has been able to get going again
and is benefiting from the same winds and thus the same speeds as
Desjoyeaux. She has no radical option for a few days now but to keep the
pressure on just to the East. There is no doubt that Desjoyeaux will mark
her continuously though. - Philippe Jeantot, http://www.vendeeglobe.com
* "I'm still kicking myself for my mistake three days ago when I fell
asleep after climbing the mast and the boat headed further east," MacArthur
admitted. Cutting the Doldrums at their westerly side is the normal drill
and Desjoyeaux did that. "Mich's move to the west certainly paid off as he
got the wind first," MacArthur added. "Once I lost my westerly position I
never had the opportunity to get back there. I think he got the breeze
about 10 hours before me. I always wanted to be west but that moment of
fatigue lost me that advantage."
It is typical of MacArthur to air her worries and doubts, to rue her
mistakes just as she shares joy and elation. Putting her heart and soul
before the public is what she is about and the public have another 10 days
or so to enjoy her phenomenal performance before the finish at Les Sables
d'Olonne.
Though the leading pair are safely into the trade winds, there are still
the light winds of the Azores high to negotiate. Neither are they immune to
attack from Marc Thiercelin's Active Wear and Roland Jourdain's Sill, some
220 and 310 miles off the lead after 84 days racing. "There are still lots
of choices to make, and I think any of the first four boats could still
pull this off over the next 3,000 miles," said MacArthur." - Tim Jeffery,
Daily Telegraph, UK, http://sport.telegraph.co.uk/sport/
* Few gave MacArthur, the young native of landlocked Derbyshire, smack in
the middle of England, much chance to be in range of victory this late in
the race. Even (Mark) Turner, the project manager, remarked last winter
that she was quite inexperienced compared with the other skippers, and very
young. But she apparently has been blessed with a good boat - the first one
ever designed for this race by a four-man team of Alain Gautier, Rob
Humphries, Mervyn Owen and Giovanni Belgrano.
In a meeting in Auckland, New Zealand, during the America's Cup last
winter, Turner said MacArthur was selected as skipper mostly because she
could attract sponsorship no male skipper could ever land. He chuckled
sheepishly yesterday when reminded of that. "She just works hard and keeps
at it," he said. "That's the secret of her success." - Angus Phillips,
Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/
STANDINGS - January 30 @ 09:00 UT: 1 PRB (Desjoyeaux) 2923 miles from
finish, 2. Kingfisher (MacArthur) 49 miles behind leader, 3. Active Wear
(Thiercelin) 240 mbl, 4. SILL Matines La Potag¸re (Jourdain) 307 mbl 5.
Union Bancaire Privˇe (Wavre) 975 mbl, 6. Sodebo (Coville) 1089 mbl. -
http://www.vendeeglobe.com/home.asp?lang=us
NEW QUESTION
What comes in Grey with a Hawaiian stripe, and can make a world of
difference to your disposition when you're spending a day on the water?
It's the new color of the Camet 3000 Sailing Shorts. They're made of fast
drying Supplex and are reinforced with a Cordura seat patch. Take the
curmudgeon's advice and use the optional 1/4 inch foam seat pads - your
butt will thank you. Check it out the full line of high performance sailing
gear: http://www.camet.com
THE RACE
Only a couple of days after Race leader Club Med broke the Cape of Good
Hope to Cape Leeuwin record, Peyron's boat (Innivation Explorer) shaved
another 4.5 hours off the new record. The good news was tempered by a
report that part of a daggerboard had broken away during the run.
"Yesterday was the real first day of Southern Ocean sea conditions",
reported crewmember Elena Caputo. "It was at the end of my watch, it was
two o'clock in the morning when we heard a loud bang! Then there was a lot
of noise inside the hull and finally there was another shock at the rudder.
We realized that we had just lost half the daggerboard!"
This new damage may well force Peyron's hand and force him into Wellington
harbor. By doing so, the cat would also be able to replace her tattered
sails and carry out other much-needed repairs around the boat. But stopping
would earn a 48-hour penalty, allowing Grant Dalton to stretch out his lead
again.
This is a bitter blow to Peyron as he is likely to close considerably on
his Kiwi adversary, who may slow up as Club Med approaches lighter winds.
"Whilst we are making way towards the Tasmanian Sea, Innovation Explorer is
catching up a system just behind us and I estimate that he should be about
320km/200 miles behind us in Cook. He is nailing us against the wall," said
Dalton.
In the last 24 hours Peyron's boat has been considerably faster, covering
580 nautical miles (nm) compared to 490 for Dalton, who forecast reaching
the Cook Strait on Saturday. - NOW Sports website,
http://www.now.com/feature.now?cid=997704&fid=1242849
STANDINGS - January 31 @ 00:25 GMT: 1. Club Med, 2. Innovation Explorer,
748 miles behind leader, 3. Team Adventure, 4037 mbl, 4. Warta Polpharma,
4398 mbl, 5. Team Legato, 5285 mbl.
* Pete Goss and the Goss team continue to tie up the Team Philips' project.
Such an extensive project, with such a far reach and so many tangents takes
time to tie up in a satisfactory way. Farewells to sponsors and a few team
members are underway. Logistical issues are also being taken care of by
Pete and Logitics Manager Nick booth. The short lived beacon signal from
Team Philips a few weeks ago revealed nothing of the boat, and many
continue to speculate on the reasons why. -
http://www.teamphilips.com/index.cfm?ArticleID=3839
RIGHT NOW
The new ISAF Eligibility Code is in effect right now. It require that ALL
crew members on ALL racing yachts must be members of the national governing
body or an affiliated organization . like a yacht club. Happily, a
membership in the Scuttlebutt Sailing Club satisfies all of the
requirements of the Eligibility Code. You can join now without any cost
whatsoever: http://sailingsource.com/scuttlebutt/
To read Eligibility Code:
http://www.sailing.org/regulations/eligibilitycode.pdf
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net)
(Letters selected to be printed may be edited for clarity, space (250 words
max) or to exclude unfounded speculation or personal attacks. This is not a
bulletin board or a chat room - you only get one letter per subject, so
give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. We don't publish
anonymous letters, but will withhold your e-mail address on request.)
* From: " Bill Heintz " <bheintz@wans.net> In response to Guy Ballou
question on dry-sailing on the Chesapeake - My father lives on a shallow
creek in the Chesapeake. About 15 years ago he purchased a sling hoist,
about the same time Burt Jabin's yard started routinely hauling boats on a
daily basis. Advantages: zero cost for bottom paint, bottom scrubbing,
sanding, painting, blisters, etc. Only once in that time has the boat been
to a boatyard, for repairs. Disadvantages: On overnight and distance races
he does not have any anti-fouling. Also he has to pay waterfront property tax.
Unfair advantage: The boat is still exposed to rain, so it still absorbs
some water from above. I suppose that all things being equal: hull fairing,
crew and boat handling, start, strategy and tactics, sails, etc. a boat
that is dry-sailed may have some speed advantage in light air or downwind.
Many one-design classes have displacement marks and other rules which
virtually nullify this marginal advantage.
* From: "Ralph Taylor" <rtaylor@informationtools.com> Yes, Guy,
dry-sailed boats are faster. You'll notice that the AC boats are pulled
after every day of sailing and have no bottom paint.
Older resins allowed more water absorption through the skin; so a boat kept
in the water was heavier than one allowed to air-dry most of its life. It's
less of a problem with modern construction materials, so your J-105
shouldn't be picking up much water weight. Also, a hull without bottom
paint can be wet-sanded to a smooth (600+ grit) finish, reducing drag.
Bottom paints, needed to keep the fur and critters off, can't attain the
same degree of finish, even after wipe-down. Critical drag areas are the
keel (especially hard to clean in the water) and rudder.
It adds up. Take the example of a 5-mile race, which your boat sails at an
average speed of 5.00 knots. A boat which could average 0.05 knot more
(0.0853 ft. per second) would cross the line 36 seconds ahead of you, about
10 lengths. But, it's still one-design racing. Few classes restrict sanding
and fairing, as long as you keep profiles within tolerance limits. After
all, you have the option to keep your boat on a trailer during the week.
Some classes, however, have restrictions on pulling boats during regattas.
* From Mike Hunt <yachtracer@lycos.com> According to Seahorse magazine,
last year, in its first year of operation, over 5000 boats raced with IRC
certificates. So what (or who) is keeping IRC from penetrating the US
sailing scene? Isn't it time to admit that IMS & Americap are dead?
* From: Mark Green <mgreen@ecorp-real-estate.com> I hate to depart from
the de rigueur discussion of (yawn) America's Cup intrigue and protocols,
and the ISAF, but did anyone notice there are two exciting races going on
out there?
Go Ellen! What a great battle and comeback this might be. (Oddly, no one
seems to be writing about the place and abilities of women in sailing this
month while McArthur is fighting one of the most physically and tactically
gruelling races ever...even if she doesn't win, her accomplishment is
remarkable regardless of gender)
Go Grant! 30 knots of wind and water in the face for 60 days is not for me,
but I enjoy reading about your endeavor while I sip my coffee in front of
the heater each morning.
* From: Craig Fletcher <sailfletch@email.msn.com> In reply to Rod Davis,
it's called "GOVERNMENT". If you can't do it you teach it, if you can't
teach it you administer it. Therefore you have wannabe sailors running the
show. This practice must end, we need to have people who are still active
on the water become active in the board room. The Rod Davis's of our sport
must step up. Lead, follow or get out of the way comes to mind.
SAIL REPAIRS AT SEA
(Knowing how to make proper sail repairs at sea is a critical skill for any
mariner. Here's an excerpt from a piece that Brian Hancock wrote for the
SailNet website on the subject.)
Sticky-back Dacron is to the sailmaker what duct tape and epoxy are to a
boat builder, an indispensable item. It comes in various weights, but the
three-ounce weight is the most versatile and, for some reason, has the best
adhesion. You can build up to the required weight by layering the Dacron,
and the best part is that by layering you do not end up with a hard spot at
the edge of the patch, which could become a hinge and form a weak spot in
the sail.
Before adding any sticky-back, make sure that the area to be patched is
clean and dry. Wipe it clean with freshwater, or better still with alcohol
(not your best gin, but an industrial type). It is important that there is
no grime or grease on the sail. Sticky-back will adhere to damp sailcloth,
but the bond will be much better if the sail is clean and dry, and better
still if you are able to heat the patch once it is laid down. If you've got
one available, use a hair dryer, or leave the sail in direct sunlight. The
heat softens the adhesive and it becomes tacky, bonding more securely.
Use sticky-back for repairing all Dacron sails, and for a quick fix on
spinnakers. You'll find that it does not work for a long-term repair on
Nylon because Dacron and Nylon stretch characteristics are disimilar and
the Dacron patch will form a hard spot in the Nylon sail, which will end up
ripping after a while.
The key to good sail patching is to lay the ripped area out flat, piecing
the edges together where you want them to be when the sail is repaired. Use
the underside of one of your wooden floorboards for a flat surface and
secure the fabric using sailmaker's awls, or if you prefer, regular
pushpins. Trim off any frayed edges and pulled threads to allow the fabric
to lay flat. In some cases it might be necessary to cut a square piece out
to eliminate the ripped or chafed area if doing so will allow the rest of
the fabric to lay flat. Then cut strips of sticky-back wide enough to cover
the gap, and carefully place them over the torn area.
When using sticky back, it's important to work from the center of the sail
out toward the edges so that if your repair does not match up exactly, you
can trim off the excess fabric. If you work in toward the middle of the
sail and end up with a pucker, you will not be able to trim the excess.
Remember, it's important that the repair come out as smooth as possible, so
pay careful attention when pinning the sail to the board. A hard spot will
soon become a weak spot. - Brian Hancock, SailNet website.
Full story:
http://www.sailnet.com/collections/seamanship/index.cfm?articleid=hancoc0015&tfr=fp
AMERICA'S CUP
28 January 2001, UK - It's historic, it's brash, it's riddled with politics
and it eats up huge dollops of cash. It is the America's Cup, one of the
strangest events in the sporting world, and Britain is back in the big game
for the first time since 1986.
* Into this minefield steps Peter Harrison, who has found his own
excitement on the back of a racing yacht. But, even with a personal worth
of £200m to £300m, depending on the final deal over the sale of his
computer systems company Chernikeeff, he is in the small-change league
compared with the Oracle computer boss Larry Ellison, telecoms mogul Craig
McCaw, Swiss pharmaceuticals billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli and Italy's
Prada fashion-house boss Patrizio Bertelli, who will spend up to $100m
each. Harrison is expected to spend up to $15m.
* The syndicate has bought the two yachts from the 1999-2000 Nippon
Challenge and is expected to announce that at least two of the Japanese
design team will establish British residency to allow them to work
alongside the British group.
* This week's announcement had been held up while some loose ends, like
individual contracts and negotiations with the yacht club through which
Britain will officially challenge, have been tied up. It is also hoped that
Harrison wanted time to strip out some of the old guard and create a
streamlined management structure.
Most importantly, flanked by his skipper, the double silver medallist Ian
Walker, Harrison will be wanting to emphasise modest goals for the first
outing in 2002-03 of what is meant to be a long-term campaign. - Mike
Turner, Independent, UK, http://www.independent.co.uk/www/
VOLVO OCEAN RACE
Team SEB is now more than half way through the building of its Bruce Farr
designed V.O.60 for the Volvo Ocean Race. An international team of boat
builders, led by New Zealanders Richard Gillies and Tim Smyth build the
boat in Team SEB's facilities in Saltsjobaden outside Stockholm.
Instead of using an existing commercial boat yard abroad, Team SEB has
recruited two of the world's most experienced boatbuilders in this
category, New Zealanders Richard Gillies and Tim Smyth, who have recruited
an international team of 18 boat builders from New Zealand, Spain and Sweden.
After launching and christening in late April, the new boat will practice
together with one of Team SEB's two other training boats SEB I and SEB II
(former Silk Cut and Toshiba) in the test programme until it is time to
move over to Team SEB's base in Southampton before the start in Volvo Ocean
Race September 23. - www.teamseb.com
US OPEN 60
In an unprecedented effort to raise global awareness of the marine
environment, the Made in America Foundation announced today the naming of
its new Open 60 class yacht Ocean Planet. Skipper and Foundation head Bruce
Schwab of Alameda, California will sail Ocean Planet against a fleet of
international competitors in some of the world's most punishing ocean
races. The ultra slender, streamlined yacht is nearing completion at
Schooner Creek Boat Works in Portland, Oregon.
"Our new name reflects the interests of generous contributors Kevin and
Shauna Flanigan," said skipper and Foundation President Bruce Schwab.
"Ocean Planet also recognizes hundreds of grass-roots supporters and
contributors who share our respect and love for the world's oceans. While
the sea offers the sailor's toughest challenges, it is also a fragile
resource."
Ocean Planet is the only state-of-the-art Open 60 racing sailboat under
construction in the U.S. The boat will be among the lightest and fastest in
its class ever built. The yacht will join the grueling schedule of
international yacht races for Open 60s later this year. - Joan Garrett,
SailSail website, http://www.sailsail.com/news/news-article.asp?Articleid=3683
THE CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM
When your pet bird sees you reading the newspaper, does he wonder why
you're just sitting there, staring at carpeting?
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