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SCUTTLEBUTT 1327 - May 12, 2003Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt is adigest 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. ORACLE BMW RACING September 12 - Auckland may not have seen the last of the America's Cup billionaires. Oracle BMW Racing chief executive Chris Dickson last night confirmed that a feasibility study is being conducted into basing American software magnate Larry Ellison's new team in Auckland, even though the next cup will be sailed in Europe. Dickson told the Herald last night that he would love the syndicate to set up camp here. "As a New Zealander I would much rather Larry Ellison spent his millions in New Zealand than in Europe - or some of them. "It's one of the possibilities that I'm exploring. My task is to plan the campaign for Larry Ellison and put options to him." * One advantage of being based in Auckland rather than the United States or Europe may be cost. A team would be able to sail on the Hauraki Gulf for much of the year, only traveling to the eventual European venue for training during the Northern Hemisphere summer. Dickson, who was Ellison's skipper for most of the last regatta, said he had no idea yet if Oracle would be able to keep a base at the Viaduct. The future of the publicly owned land that housed some of the syndicates has yet to be finalized. "The advantage from my point of view is I'm a Kiwi and I live here," said Dickson. "We have to weigh up all the pros and cons ... to see if we can make sense for him." - Helen Tunnah. NZ Herald, full story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=news&thesubsection=&storyID=3501361 OLYMPIC CLASSES Following the completion of the ISAF Grade 1 Semaine Olympique Francaise (Hyeres Week) the latest ISAF World Sailing Rankings for Olympic Classes have been issued. The top ranked North American sailors include: - Yngling: 1. Betsy Allison/Suzy Leech/ Lee Icyda, USA; 5. Hannah Swett/ Melissa Purdy/ Joan Touchette, USA; 14. Carol Cronin/ Liz Filter/ Bridget Hallawell, USA; 18 Jody Swanson/ Cory Sertl/ Elizabeth Kratzig, USA. - 470 Woman: 13. Jennifer Provan/ Nikola Girke, CAN, 15. Katie McDowell/ Isabelle Kinsolving, USA. - 49er: 17. Tim Wadlow/ Pete Spaulding, USA; 20. Andy Mack/ Adam Lowry, USA. - Europe: 16. Meg Gaillard, USA. - Star: 2. Mark Reynolds/ Maagnus Liljedahl, USA; 18. George Szabo/ Austin Sperry, USA. Complete rankings: http://www.sailing.org/rankings/ MALLORY TROPHY May 11, 2003 - The 2003 Mallory Trophy was won by Point Loma High School. Hosted at Dartmouth College, the team from San Diego won the event by 86 points over their home town rivals the University of San Diego High School. Point Loma Sailors won both divisions of the 28 race regatta. The Dartmouth College venue offered 20 Flying Junior Sailboats for the 20 High School Teams to compete on Lake Mascoma. Teams qualified for the Mallory Trophy, the Interscholastic Sailing Association National Dinghy Championship, by district. There are seven districts in the country that make up the ISSA. Each district is awarded berths based on membership. There are more than 300 schools and more than 3000 sailors that compete in high school sailing annually. Final results: 1. Point Loma HS, 113; 2. University of San Diego HS, 199; 3. Toms River HS, 203; 4. Newport Harbor HS, 222; 5. St. George HS, 225.- http://www.highschoolsailingusa.org/ THE FASTEST SAILING KIT IN THE WORLD? Apart from being three of the fastest boats in the World, what have Playstation (Steve Fossett), Geronimo (Olivier de Kersauson) and Kingfisher2 (Ellen MacArthur) got in common? All have chosen Musto Clothing to keep them warm and dry, and have all done so for many years. Why do they stay with Musto? Because it works: whether trying to stay cool in the Doldrums or hammering along at 35 knots in the Southern Ocean. It will work for you too (you don't have to have a giant multihull to qualify!). http://www.musto.uk ETCHELLS NAs The Etchells North American Championship finished Saturday with only one race competed in the last day of racing, for a total of three races for the series (four are required to make a championship). The regatta was dominated by an unstable air mass over the eastern US which brought thunderstorms, showers, and random wind directions throughout the four scheduled race days. Fifty eight boats from the US, Canada, Great Britain and Hong Kong competed. Final results: 1. Paul Sustronk/Robbie Kidd, Oakville, ON - 6, 4, 10 - 20 pts. 2. Steve Girling, Westport, CT - 13, 1, 7 - 21 pts. 3. Bruce/Glenn Burton, Detroit, MI - 12, 2, 9 - 23 pts. 4. Marvin Beckmann, Houston, TX - 3, 23, 5 - 31 pts. 5. Mark Thornburrow/Tim Parsons, Hong Kong - 7, 24, 1 - 32 pts. 6. Jud Smith, Marblehead, MA - 1, 21, 12 - 34 pts. 7. Hans Fogh, Toronto, CA - 9, 3, 24 - 36 pts. 8. Dennis Connor, San Diego, CA - 20, 13, 3 - 36 pts. 9. Larry Creaser/Erik Kopper, Halifax, NS - 28, 7, 2 - 37 pts. 10. Peter Duncan, Rye, NY - 23, 14, 4 - 41 pts. Complete standings for the three races are at: http://www.race.annapolisyc.com/uploads/results/2003_Etchells_North_American_Championship-2003/2003_Etchells_North_American_Championship-2003-3-3-1.html AROUND ALONE Around Alone skipper Alan Paris on Open 40 BTC Velocity reached across the finish line Sunday in a rising 20 knot breeze at 20:22:08 GMT (16:22:08 local time) after 202 days, 11 hours, 9 minutes and 52 seconds racing, of which 196 days were spent at sea. Paris becomes the first Bermudian to achieve a solo circumnavigation. He also takes fifth place overall in Class 2 of Around Alone 2002-03. The last skipper left out on the race course is Canadian Derek Hatfield on Spirit of Canada, who has literally skirted around the 'bump of Brazil' and is now finally in the trades. His ETA is for the end of May, some weeks after the Around Alone prizegiving at the Museum of Yachting on May 17. - Mary Amber, http://www.aroundalone.com RIDERS WANTED The best ride at the upcoming Lipton Cup Challenge in San Diego May 17th and 18th may not be on a race boat, but on the Raider RIB by Aquapro. Superb handling no matter the conditions combined with a comfortable cabin or stylish console model guarantees your passengers the most comfortable ride around. Whether in a 22' or a 46' model, Aquapro delivers the most comfortable ride at the most affordable prices. Still not convinced? Take a test ride at the Yachting Cup. Call (619) 709-0697 to schedule your ride. Raider Boats - Quality made affordable. http://www.raiderboat.com NEWS BRIEFS * Sam Davies' 2003 Figaro Campaign will be sponsored by Skandia, the long term sponsors of Cowes Week. A new 32 foot Figaro Beneteau race boat was officially named 'Skandia' by Ellen MacArthur in Cherbourg. Twenty eight year old Sam is the rising star of the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, following hot on the heels of Nick Moloney and Ellen MacArthur. Her big aim is the French dominated Figaro circuit, a series of 6 two-up and solo events that culminate with the Solitaire du Figaro - 2000 single-handed miles between France, Ireland and Spain. Sam will be the first British female to compete on the Figaro circuit since 1976. http://www.samdavies.com/skandia * Dublin Bay, Ireland - The Hamble River Sailing Club won the Chubb Insurance Team Racing Challenge, beating the Storm Trisail team (USA) into second place with two races to spare. The top Irish sailor Tim Goodbody sailing with the Sigma Class Association took third place ahead of the New York YC team. - http://www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=4464 * Any remaining Scuttlebutt readers who have not tired of the Kiwis press beating up on TNZ will undoubtedly enjoy Gordon McLauchlan's editorial in the NZ Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=news&thesubsection=&storyID=3501065&reportID=4 FOR THE RECORD The trimaran Great American II has crossed the equator and is was inching north in the doldrums looking for the north-easterly tradewinds that will speed her on her way to New York On Sunday skipper Rich Wilson reported his vessel at 2 deg 38 min north, 27 deg 52 min west, and averaging just four knots. In the previous 24 hours, the record-seekers had only covered 81 miles. Wilson said there were frequent changes in wind direction. "Yesterday we had no wind in the afternoon and later west wind in the bottom half of the mainsail and east wind in the top half. We rolled up the jib to reduce wear and tear." Wilson and his crew Rich du Moulin are also remaining vigilant for wear and tear during their 15,000 mile voyage. A broken piece of a cotter pin they found near the foot of the mast, sent Wilson up the rig for a fitting-by-fitting inspection. "I went aloft to inspect everything, taking several replacements of the same size. Each pin is covered with silicone goo to guard against chafe so it was hard to see if all of each pin was there. To the best of what I could see, there are no missing pieces of cotter pins up there. I will cross my fingers, and hold my breath, until New York." To beat the Sea Witch record of 74 days 14 hours, Great American II must finish off New York's Ambrose Light Tower before 2:00 PM, on May 29 - Keith Taylor, http://www.sitesalive.com STAR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Final results after five races and one throwout (65 boats): 1. IRL, Mark Mansfield / Killian Collins, 8 2. SWE, Fredrik Lööf / Anders Ekstrom, 13 3. FRA, Philippe Presti / Jean-Philippe Saliou, 25 4. GER, Michael Koch / Markus Koy, 25 5. ESP. José Maria van der Ploeg / Pablo Arrarte Elorza, 28 13. CAN, Ross Macdonald / Kai Bjorn, 48 Event website: http://www.spartacus.hu/en/read.php?tma=star J/80 NEARS HULL #600 MILESTONE What began as J Boats' family-friendly entry model for its sprit boat range (26'-53') is now ISAF recognized with 600 boats in 12 countries. The 2003 Worlds are in Fort Worth, TX Oct 11-17, and a special package is currently available from J Boats. - http://www.jboats.com/j80 HE'S BACK The USA's Morgan Larson is back in the 49er after a three year layoff. Larson teamed up with a new crew, Adam Koch, to win the first leg of the five leg 49er Grand Prix in Cannes, France. The overall conditions tested the light weather skills of 11 crews from 7 different nations. Larson/ Koch sailed a very consistent series, with a worst placing of 3rd after throw-outs. Second was won on a countback by Michael Hestbek/ Dennis Andersen (DEN), from Dalton Bergan/Zack Maxam (USA). The next leg of the circuit will see sailors travel to the European skiff dream location of Lake Garda in Italy from 15-18 May. - www.skiff.tv 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 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 Carl Schellbach: Not to belittle Hannah Swett & crew's accomplishments and the congratulations due for them getting the invite to sail the Athens regatta, but I'm a bit confused. Betsy Allison & crew are now ranked #1 by ISAF and US Sailing, with Hannah and crew ranked #5 by ISAF (as of yesterday - #4 previously) and #4 by US Sailing. One would think that with these rankings and with Betsy and crew in Europe already, it would make a lot of sense to send them to this regatta. How are these teams selected? * From Brian Hancock (Re: Great American II): I invite Ken Brooke to look beyond the comparison between hemp and Kevlar, between the sextant and GPS. Through my offshore experience, singlehanded and crewed, I know what a truly difficult task Rich Wilson and Rich du Moulin have set themselves. But aside from that, remember that the record is merely the peg that Wilson hangs his education hat on. This guy has brought the sailing experience and its attendant life lessons to more people in the US than anyone I can think of. His own web site (sitesalive.com) takes his message to millions and has done over the years including his last two record attempts and for PACT 95. This former math teacher has pioneered a unique way to bring his real-world adventures to the classroom while getting in some serious sea-time. More power to him. * From Paul V. Monaci: I completely agree with the comments regarding the Saturday abandonment of races in San Diego. While it was rough out there, it was not reported to be much worse than we might see when the Gulch is really working in Long Beach. And of course to make matters worse, by 1:00 pm the scattered front broke to a steady wind around 15 knots and enough sun for many crew to be hanging in the pool and jacuzzi at the hotel. Not exactly how we wanted to spend the day when we had come to race! * From Jeff Johnson, Race Administrator, San Diego Yacht Club (In response to John McBrearty in Butt 1326) Re: the PHRF 4 boat at the Yachting Cup: A couple of factual corrections - 1. The PHRF 4 boat referenced was actually a Beneteau 40.7 sailing in their own one design fleet. 2. This particular 40.7 was over a leg behind the next 40.7 and was the last boat on the course. The other 63 boats from that circle were sailing in. At the weather mark, they were 1.5 nm upwind and closer to the harbor than the finish line. The idea was to extend a courtesy to the competitor. 3. They chose to sail the course and the markset boat was on station to take their finish time and give them a horn. 4. We applauded their effort and they thanked us for giving them a finish. RE: The cancellation of racing on Saturday: .These sort of things are like politics - everyone has an opinion, and the debate over this issue could go on and on. The PRO in charge did what he thought was prudent. We worked to make it up on shore that afternoon with extended party hours and the following day we squeezed in an extra race. We have reviewed the weather issues and would approach the same situation differently next time, but this is not to say the outcome would be any different. * From Troy A. Sears: I was event chairman for Yachting Cup this year and can announce that we are reviewing very closely the events from last Saturday. SDYC will be holding internal meetings to discuss and improve the process in which races will be postponed or abandoned. SDYC has one of the finest RC's in the world and we will learn from last Saturday's events. We will be discussing the results of these meetings with all the participants via e-mail and realize that we owe the sailors who came a full report. We also realize that we disappointed hundreds that came to the regatta and will need to enhance the event next year to maintain Yachting Cup's status. * From Wallace Tobin: The recent emphasis on sponsorship might have a bearing on the moaning and groaning in your columns from those castigating TNZ. New Zealand has not lost its honor, a war, or any citizens' lives in the America's Cup although the furor is appropriate for such calamities. It was a sailboat race! Too late to go back, but this fuss would not have erupted in the amateur 12-meter era. * From Rob Hahn: I'm confused by this "investigation" of TNZ. Did the Kiwi public demand it? Did they demand it for any of the earlier Kiwi teams that failed to win the AC? Is building one of the two fastest boats in the AC fleet a crime in New Zealand? This all seems a bit overdone. Maybe my memory fails me, but I don't recall any past team having to undergo this sort of public witch-hunt following the loss of the Cup. No one owns this trophy, and it's very hard to keep - ask Dennis Conner. We should remind New Zealand that in order to lose the America's Cup, you must first have won it. * From Dean Hubbard: I had to read John Kostecki's words twice: "It's going to make it a lot harder on the crew. It's a bigger boat and will be harder to handle. The bigger boat will be a lot more demanding. It was a tough race before and I think the next will be tougher." Having followed Emma Richards "Around Alone" race I think the best tip I can give John is to get a crew of thirteen girls for the VO 60 race. * From Greg Christie: I would like to make a couple of observations with regard to the capsize of the Yacht "Excalibur" and the subsequent tragic loss of life. 1) The keel foil failure approximately 600 mm beneath the hull indicates poor casting and tempering quality. The yacht was built not by qualified boatbuilders but by a company whose expertise rests in building brickworks and meatworks' machinery. 2) The yacht was being delivered southwards at a time of year when conditions are never particularly "user-friendly", and being close inshore with the ability to "duck into port" and hide from passing vicious fronts can only be seen to be prudent, why then was Excalibur sailing 40 miles offshore? 3) Given the pressures that the most experienced delivery crews receive from owners, and that they had to push on regardless into atrocious conditions for a timeframe of possibly 2 days, why were all members of the crew on deck when the yacht capsized, when a double tethered crew of 2 on deck with the others below getting rested and warm, should have been the approach?. How did they expect to last out the conditions with everyone exhausted? I hate to make this conclusion, but I believe that incompetent seamanship is more the reason for these tragedies, rather than lack of adequate safety equipment, drills and systems. Accidents do happen, but we can do everything possible to avoid these before recklessly relying upon our safety systems. Surely a sound decision is the safest system of all. THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS Only in America do we have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering. |
