SCUTTLEBUTT No. 932 - October 29, 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.
THE RACE
Paris, 26th October 2001. After consulting with the different challengers
who met recently in Southampton, The Race Event organising team officially
decided to launch the next edition of The Race. For scheduling reasons and
in order not to conflict with future editions of the America's Cup (2003)
and the Vendée Globe (2005), the start of next edition of The Race will be
in February 2004. From now on, the event will take place every four years
(2004, 2008, 2012).
This decision fits in more broadly with the concept of creating an
international tour for these giant multihulls. This new tour will establish
a permanent world ranking and a Global Trophy that will take into account,
in addition to The Race, the greatest major sailing records of the planet,
such as the Jules Verne Trophy, the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Tea Route or
the New York - San Francisco... This tour will be set up in close
consultation with the principal actors involved so that the interests of
each challenger's syndicate are taken into consideration.
An annual or bi-annual gathering of these giant multihulls is also planned
to become part of the official calendar of events. The main objective of
this particular event will be to showcase to the general public the best of
the leading edge ocean sailboat racing technologies. It will also provide
sponsors with an international promotional and public relations event. The
first edition of "Les Voiles du Futur" could take place in a major European
harbour as early as the summer of 2003.
The next edition of The Race will still take place in the "no limits"
spirit, along an easterly circumnavigation route around the three capes.
The fleet of giants sailing today will be confronted with the arrival of
new maxi multihulls (trimarans and catamarans of 110 / 120 ft), as well as
maxi-monohulls (100 / 150 ft) for whom the event shall likely be opened up
after further reflection on this subject. - www.therace.org
JOHN DOE
A 30-minute phone call between yachting legend Chris Dickson and fellow New
Zealander Sean Reeves is the crucial focus of an America's Cup espionage
scandal. The Herald can reveal the man accused of trying to sell secret
design and technical plans worth $6 million is Reeves, a 40-year-old former
lawyer who left Team New Zealand last year and lured others with him to the
Seattle-based One World syndicate. He also is accused of trying to pass
information about Team NZ.
The case hinges on a phone call Reeves made to Dickson, who leads the
California-based Oracle Racing team backed by computer billionaire Larry
Ellison. Dickson alleges that during the July 17 conversation, Reeves
offered to sell him design and technical secrets about One World and Team
NZ. But Reeves said yesterday that he and Dickson chatted about old
yachting stories and their babies. Reeves denied offering information to
Oracle or any other syndicate and said he would sue One World over the
allegations.
The affair is now before the King County Superior Court in Seattle where
One World is seeking an order gagging Reeves and forcing him to return any
syndicate information. Documents originally filed in the court referred to
the defendant only as "John Doe". Reeves' identity was uncovered in
documents obtained by the Herald. - Eugene Bignham and Tony Wall, NZ Herald
Full story:
www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=224827&thesection=new
SMOKE ON THE WATER
Looking for a little more life out of your racing sails? The new range of
"Smoke" performance laminates from Contender Sailcloth incorporate a space
age UV absorber to help shield the high modulus aramid fibers from UV
damage. The distinctive gray tint adhesive provides up to 3 times better UV
protection than standard laminates. Combine that with high yarn counts in
the warp and fill and you've got a durable, low stretch fabric designed for
long term performance. Check out the Smoke laminates and our other fabrics
at www.contendersailcloth.com
VOLVO OCEAN RACE
SEB and djuice are entering the light air patch 260 miles to the west of
Cape Town, making the next six hours crucial for the result of SEB, djuice
and Amer Sports Too. Right now it is still pleasant sailing with 20 degrees
air and water temperature and 12 knots of wind und a full cloud cover. Amer
Sports Too enjoys similar conditions and has gained seven miles on SEB and
16 on djuice.
STANDINGS at 0358 hours GMT, OCTOBER 29:
1. Illbruck: 31d 06h 19m 49s
2. Amer Sports One: 31d 08h 20m 56s
3. News Corp: 32d 15h 57m 17s
4. Tyco: 33d 16h 37m 49s
5. Assa Abloy, 034d 18h 11m 59s
5. Team SEB, 276 miles to go
6. djuice, 300 mtg
7. Amer One too, 429 mtg
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 Bob Billingham Congratulations to Andy Konstanecki. Those of us on
the "88 Olympic Team will always remember benefiting greatly from his wise
leadership. Good on US Sailing for recognizing his contribution.
* From Katherine Sanpere: In 'Butt #931 you had a short piece about the
"Special Olympics." Please print a correction that it is the Paralympics.
The Special Olympics are opened to all and are for mentally challenged. The
Paralympics are for elite disabled athletes. Many of the athletes,
especially in track and field, are professional athletes. In sailing many
of the athletes compete on an equal level with non-disabled sailors. There
is a big difference between the two events. The Paralympics are actually
the second largest sporting event in the world behind the Olympics.
AMERICA'S CUP
* The full GBR Challenge sailing squad is now together at the base in the
Viaduct Basin. The team members who arrived in Auckland at the end of
September have spent the last couple of weeks organising their NZ
operation, improving boat handling and getting familiar with the local
conditions.
Aboard the Cup boat, different crew combinations are continually being
trialed. At the same time, every team member has trained in the Etchells 22
so that we develop a good understanding of match racing throughout the
whole team.
GBR52 is due to arrive at the base October 27 and will immediately undergo
an intensive two week maintenance period to prepare the boat for her return
to the water at the official base opening in mid November. Another shipment
will follow in two weeks, providing the team with sails and the final
containers that make up the GBR Challenge base.
This week the GBR Challenge design team hand over the final drawings to the
build team who in turn will begin work on the first ever modern America's
Cup Class yacht to be built in the UK.
* In a ceremony in Gothenburg, Sweden, the Swedish America's Cup yacht
was named Örn. The christening was handled by Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebo.
Principle designer for the Victory Challenge syndicate has been German
Frers Jr. Chris Mellow has been head of the boat builders.
Örn will be transported by air to New Zealand within a week. Part of the
Victory Challenge crew is already in place at the base in Auckland. - Bert
Willborg
INSIGHT
(The following e-mail from Dee Smith discusses the first leg of the Volvo
Offshore Race from his perspective in the Amer Sports One afterguard.)
Sorry we couldn't hold the Illbruck off. We have some problems and they are
being sorted out now. Basically, we couldn't change sails very well with
our halyard lock problems. Then we would wait to see if the shift or
pressure would change. By the time we did change, the shift would be gone
and we just couldn't stay ahead of the game. Were we slow in that
condition? Don't really know, but I'm sure we could do a lot better, and
yes we should have been able to hold them off. We were lucky to be far
enough ahead of everyone else that it didn't matter.
The good news it we did get a second and a huge time advantage on the other
boats during the stop over. We have more time to rest, 6 day off next week.
More time to get the boat sorted and go over all the data from the race. I
was very worried that we could have started the regatta with a 6th. With
the time we had it was quite possible. Now the crew has confidence in the
boat and ourselves. We know we are not faster, but not slower either. It is
time just to take a deep breath and be happy where we are.
I am very happy with the way the back end of the boat is working. Grant and
Roger's vast experience in sailing around the world (13 trips combined)
match up with Bouwe and my tactical knowledge. What we did do well, was not
make any big mistakes, in fact only a couple of small ones. This way, when
the opportunity came up to grab the lead, it was possible because we were
close enough. Still much work to do, but we think it can only get better.
The next leg we only need to keep the boat together and ourselves, we only
had a taste of the Southern Ocean, and did wake a few people up that
haven't been there. Our new locks are lost in baggage some where but should
be tested next week. So, everything is covered, but as Murphy knows,
anything can and well happen. - Dee Smith
CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: Herb McCormick's story in Sunday's New York Times
quotes Amer Sports One skipper Grant Dalton about his thoughts on Leg One.
When asked about illbruck, Dalton said, "They were bigger, they were
slicker, they were faster and they gunned us down. I think in the pecking
order we're probably about fifth at the moment. Illbruck is absolutely the
yardstick; they were never off the pace."
Full story: www.nytimes.com/2001/10/28/sports/28BOAT.html
STANDING ROOM ONLY
With world events and the economy being what they are, there is no shortage
of speculation concerning projected entries at various upcoming regattas,
including Terra Nova Trading / Yachting Key West Race Week.
Premiere Racing, the event organizer for the annual Key West regatta,
tracks entries and projections very carefully. Based on entries to date,
input from one design classes, and event history and trends, all
indications are that there will again be more than 300 boats racing in Key
West.
"There is no way to project the exact number of entries because of the many
variables and unknowns, but we can certainly close in on a number when all
the facts to date are accounted for and reasonable assumptions are made,"
stated Peter Craig, President of Premiere Racing. "It's interesting to note
that one design classes represented approximately 60% of the fleet last
year and could be as high as 70% in 2002."
According to Craig, the very latest conservative projections based on
current entries and owner /class polling are as follows: Farr 40 - 28; 1D35
- 20; J/105 - 33; Mumm 30 - 23; J/29 - 18; J/80 - 27; Melges 24 - 63; F-28R
- 12; PHRF - 80; IMS - 7; Total Fleet - 311.
The three largest Key West fleets ever: 326 in 2001 / 271 in 1999 / 263 in
1997.
For complete details on the entry projections, including class by class
justification visit the web site: www.Premiere-Racing.com
POSTPONEMENT
Charles A Dana III, commodore of the New York Yacht Club (NYYC), announced
the postponement of the Transatlantic Challenge, presented by Rolex. The
transatlantic race, from New York to England, will be sailed in May 2005.
The recessionary economy and the tragic events of September 11th and their
aftermath have raised concerns about security and have led to the
possibility of some competitors being reluctant to compete in May 2002.
EVERYWHERE
They are absolutely everywhere. They're in Norway, Japan, Spain, the UK and
Canada. There are two each in Australia and Mexico. Italy has three and
there are 10 in the USA. That's 22 in all, and every one of these Ullman
sail lofts will give a quote on a new sail to show you just how affordable
improved performance can be for your boats: www.ullmansails.com
QUOTES FROM THE BOATS
"You know, I was going to write about flames in the galley, my wild trip up
the rig, and our cruel, hard rations. I'll leave that for another day and
instead just say that the more raw our lives get as we run out of supplies,
the more you realise you can do without. You can get by on less food, and
you see you don't have to have wet wipes, and your spotty botty does not
really need baby powder. It doesn't matter there is little to no toothpaste
and the deodorant has all gone. As long as you have a little food in our
belly, a dry bunk to crawl into and a great team around you, you're gonna
do just fine. Did I mention fine wine?" - Bridget Suckling, Amer Sports Too
"Of course the weight saving program has also taking it's toll in the
clothing and sleeping department: The very light weight, but not so warm
blankets, don't stand any comparison with a proper sleeping bag, but it's
only for a couple of more days so that's ok. At the same time the crew bags
don't contain much these days, so every single piece of clothing is a very
warm welcome to the body." - Wouter Verbraak, djuice
"Trading food has stopped and everybody simply eats what they are given.
There are no complaints on the freeze-dried food which, by the way, is now
all history onboard. We have two dinners left (we got them onboard when we
stopped to pick up the headboard car outside Brazil) and they will be a bit
more tricky to do since cooking real food isn't what our kitchen normally
is set up for. The most complicated dish we have under normal conditions is
chili noodles." Mikael Lundh, djuice
FOR THE RECORD
October 26, 2001 - Clear of the South Atlantic Ocean, the Melbourne-bound
trimaran Great American II was 710 nautical miles southwest of Cape Town,
South Africa today, as she continued her attempt to set a new sailing
record from New York City to Melbourne, Australia.
Skipper Rich Wilson and his co-skipper Bill Biewenga, from Newport, Rhode
Island, were today 961 miles ahead of the comparable position of the
clipper ship Mandarin that set the New York-Melbourne record nearly 150
years ago during the Australian Gold Rush. Mandarin logged her 69-day
record in the winter of 1855-56.
"We have painstakingly built a small lead of about three days over the
Mandarin record," Wilson said today. "However our lead could evaporate
rapidly. Mandarin hit her stride in the strong westerly winds down here.
She also took a more southerly route than we are planning, thus cutting her
distance. Captain Parritt has spotted us a lead - the race begins!"
The attempt to break Mandarin's record is the latest education adventure
program undertaken by Wilson's Boston-based sitesALIVE! website. The
program enables Wilson and Biewenga to share their experience with
schoolchildren by linking to an accredited curriculum delivered on the
Internet to classrooms throughout the United States and Australia. - Keith
Taylor
The website tracking the voyage of Great American II is
www.sitesALIVE.com
PRO-AM CUP
Vasco Vascotto (K-Yachting 1) steals victory in extremis to Thierry
Péponnet (K-Yachting 4); in the ranking where everything was decided during
the last race, and on the water where twenty little meters parted the two
boats on the finish line. The Italian skipper, whose list of achievements
is impressive - World Champion titles in IMS, Mumm 30, Farr 40, J24, etc. -
came back to the Vieux-Port harbour of Marseilles with a lit up face. On
the amateur side, Oliver Krauss (Théoule Mandelieu) is the unrivaled leader
- he takes a remarkable 7th place overall, ahead of three professional
teams ! - followed far behind by Eric Basset (Tri Yann) and Jean-Philippe
Allilaire (In Extremis). Generally speaking, the logic have been respected:
professional skippers are more regular and learn quickly - see the last
results of Christophe Auguin (8) and Dawn Riley (10).
Final results: 1. K-Yachting 1, Vasco Vascotto, 18; 2. K-Yachting 4,
Thierry Péponnet, 18 3. Région Ile-de-France, 24. - www.proamcup.com
WORLD DISABLED SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS
With six races completed on Tampa Bay, the leaders in the Sonar and 2.4 mR
classes at the World Disabled Sailing Championships moved further ahead of
their competitors with three scheduled races remaining. Germany's Heiko
Kroeger added two more first-place finished to an already-perfect record.
With five total points, he leads American Thomas Brown, the U.S.
representative at the Sydney Paralympics in 2000, by 10 points with Jostein
Stordahl of Norway in third place with 19 points.
Canadian Brian Mackie's team was disqualified in Sunday's opening race for
crossing the starting line early but held onto the overall lead in the
Sonar class with a 11-point margin over John Robertson of Sunderland,
England. The top American skipper, Paul Callahan, dropped to eighth place
with another American team, skippered by John Ross-Duggan, in ninth place.
After a day off Monday the regatta resumes Tuesday with the final races
schedules for Wednesday, Oct. 31. - Doran Cushing
Full results and photos: www.spyc.org
THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
Smoking helps you lose weight ... one lung at a time!
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