|
SCUTTLEBUTT 1900 - August 11, 2005Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.TACK OR CROSS -- Brad Read The first beat of a sailboat race is a crucial time. It determines whether you are in the first tier of boats at the windward mark or the cheap seats. Finding lanes is the highest priority. That is why you will often hear boats communicating back and forth as they approach each other on opposite tacks. You are on starboard and are fairly content where you are headed. Good pressure, lifted a bit and here comes a close cross with a port tacker. Hmmm … decision time. They will not duck as they are almost clear ahead, but if you call starboard and make them tack they will most likely give you bad air after the tack. What are the options? Well, if I was the port tacker and moderately happy staying on port, I would ask "Tack or Cross?" to attempt to keep going on port. The starboard tacker, if as the scenario above holds true, should say "Cross" and both boats would avoid an expensive tack and be better off (possibly) in the long run. Why on earth would a right of way boat (on starboard tack) ever want to allow a port tacker to cross? Well, think about it. If the port tacker is barely crossing (but risky) or possibly not crossing you by say 5 or 6 feet, would you rather that boat tack right on your lee bow and force you to tack away, or is in more beneficial to you and your crew for you to stay on starboard ducking the port tacker and stay on your lifted tack. When to ask is important. Don't be rude and ask when the starboard tacker would have to make a huge duck on you! You need to be confident that you can stick a good lee bow in there to even have the audacity to ask! Your mom probably always told you to say please and thank you, but this is one of those times that it is mandatoiry to say thank you if the starboard tacker lets you cross. "Thanks! I owe you one", or my personal favorite: "Buy you a beer later, Thanks" are great ways to make sure that the tack or cross system works. Don't ask late. It never works. Ask late and you could get the full silent treatment. Then things can get very tight. Ask early and try to get good eye contact! Also, when you are the boat being asked, use sign language. A wave through sign is much better than either the word "no" or "go". Very bad when those two words get mixed up! If I get no answer at first (and many of my fellow J/24 sailors have heard me say this) I repeat the tack or cross request by saying: "Tack on you or cross?" Ha! It usually gets the point across. Sometimes they just laugh at me, and we tack. Really embarrassing when we don't pull off the lee bow in that case! Bottom line is that there are times you do not want a boat on a marginal cross to tack on you. Sticking to the myopic view that I have starboard and I'm going to make that boat tack can be detrimental to both boats… PS don't ever let anyone cross near the port tack layline … Very bad! -- Brad Read WATCHING THE CLOCK Not only did ICAP Maximus win line honours in the Rolex Fastnet Race -- crossing the Plymouth finish line at 0822 hours Wednesday morning -- but the wind gods are conspiring to give her handicap victory too. A good breeze propelled the 98-foot New Zealand Maxi at good speeds back to Plymouth early this morning while her rivals have struggled in far less favourable conditions. This morning, Skandia Wild Thing's estimated time of arrival was 1800. By 1600 this afternoon, however, the Australian 98-footer had only drawn level with the Lizard, giving her at least another 70 miles sailing. She has now revised her ETA to 2330 hours. Even that was based on the sea breeze holding until then, which is far from likely. So Grant Wharington and crew might not finish until dawn tomorrow morning. -- www.regattanews.com MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER MAXI: Few boats, if any have quite caught the thinking sailor's imagination quite like Maximus. Dazzled by a plethora of claims about records, speed, general craziness and other tales, the general public has become a little blasé about the next that is claimed to be the latest and greatest on the sailing scene. Maximus is not just another Big Boat. In the flesh, or rather on the water, the size and presence of the Greg Elliott designed supermaxi is awesome, attention grabbing and athletic. Athletic is not a word one would normally use with in a sailing context, but how else would you describe a boat that has breathtaking acceleration, sails faster than the wind, and is completely Up close it takes a trained and studied eye to fully appreciate this masterpiece. Appropriately she is painted Porsche silver and the embodiment of engineering and fine design is to the level one would expect from Germanic engineering and design excellence. In the rating world rules have come and gone, and now the market, or rather jungle, is making its own rules and new types seem to be emerging led by owners rather than rule makers. Typically these boats fall into box rules - where length is the only real measure and within that box - anything goes - or may the fastest win. The "box" that has emerged at the top of the scale is the Supermaxi class - which are informally limited to 100ft, but typically come in around 30 metres overall or 98ft in the old money. Maximus breaks this mould wide open with several design features, of which one alone would have been considered radical for this type of boat and design thinking. Her design inventory boasts a rotating wing mast, hydraulically lowered keel, centreboard complete with trim tab, and a Code Zero jib/ gennaker. She is the first supermaxi to tread the technology path in all these areas. -- These are just a few excerpts from a comprehensive story posted on the the Kiwispy website. -- Full story: http://www.kiwispy.com/Offshore/Maximus.htm ULLMAN SAILS COMPETITIVE EDGE! Ullman Sails has positioned world-class sailmakers around the globe to serve all your sailing needs. Make a commitment to outperform your competition with a new sail, or a new inventory of the "Fastest Sails on the Planet" from Ullman Sails. Utilizing state of the art materials, new construction techniques and cutting edge designs, Ullman Sails' team of designers have introduced "FiberPath" sails to compliment an already established product line of championship sails. For an investment in performance, and unsurpassed customer support, contact your local Ullman Sails loft and visit us at http://www.ullmansails.com INDUSTRY NEWS The "grow, grow, grow your boat" craze has shipbuilders, brokers and marine architects in a tizzy. Clearly, the gigayacht is rocking the boat industry. Though accounting for a relatively small slice of yacht orders, yachts of mega and giga proportions are being built like never before - with even bigger ones now on the drawing board. This year, 651 are under construction, up from 507 last year and 482 in 2003 - a nearly $1 billion increase in sales, industry experts say. A third of the yachts listed on the World's Top 100 by Power & Motoryacht magazine were built after 2000; of the top 40 currently under construction, the average length is 241 feet. Americans, the world leaders in the purchase and chartering of big yachts, are largely driving that demand, says Jim Eden, who has been brokering yachts for 35 years. In yachting terminology, "fully loaded" now means boats with on-board helicopters, submarines, full-size movie theaters, missile detection systems, 18-hole golf courses. In the race to build the world's yachts, the United States presently places second to Italy among the world's Top 10 "yacht builder nations." (Twenty-two American manufacturers are presently turning out 5.2 miles of yachts.) The Netherlands is running a close third. German shipbuilders, however, are squarely at the forefront of the gigayacht revolution. Lurssen, of Bremen, Germany, is the quintessential gigabuilder. The average length of its creations is 277 feet - 51 feet longer than its closest competitor, according to the Global Build Report, published by Yachts International Magazine. (The total length of Lurssen yachts being built for U.S. clients alone exceeds the height of the Empire State Building.) It builds boats like Octopus - the $250 million aqua-palace of Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft. At the time Octopus was launched, Lurssen was secretly crafting Ellison's "Rising Sun," a 393-foot behemoth which the owner would later describe as a "sculpture made of metal and glass." However, when it became apparent that Octopus was 21 feet longer than his yacht, Ellison ordered the German shipbuilder to extend Rising Sun to 452 feet - thereby wresting the title from Allen. Upon completion, Ellison's floating skyscraper had five stories, 82 rooms, a wine cellar the size of most beach bungalows, a dozen yacht-length tenders, and a generator capable of providing enough electricity for a small town in Idaho or Maine. -- Excerpts from a story by Todd Lewan, AP, published on seattlepi.com. There is much more: http://tinyurl.com/c79xm CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar NEWS BRIEFS * Premiere Racing announced that Acura, the luxury division of American Honda Motor Company will be the Title Sponsor for both Key West and Miami Race Weeks. 2006 will be an extraordinary year for both events with Nautor's Swan choosing Key West for their Swan 45 Gold Cup and the Transpac 52 class hosting their inaugural Global Championship in Miami. Acura Grand Prix Awards will be presented to the combined class winners of Acura Key West and Acura Miami Race Week for the Transpac 52, Swan 45, Farr 40, Mumm 30, J/105, Melges 24 classes, and others that meet eligibility requirements. -- www.Premiere-Racing.com * At the recent Annual Meeting of the International Optimist Dinghy Association Helen Mary Wilkes from Howth, Ireland was elected President of Honour. The honour celebrated her 25th consecutive Optimist World Championship since 1981. President of the Association from 1989 to 1998 she led the successful "IOD95" project which restored the one-design principle to the class. Today 40 manufacturers worldwide build over 4,000 boats a year. At the same meeting Frenchman Michel Barbier was created a Member of Honour on his retiral from the IODA Regatta Committee which he chaired for over twenty years. * After four races in Laser 4.7 World Championship Regatta at Barrington Yacht Club in Barrington, Rhode Island, Spain's Joaquin Blanco Albalat, Adam Sims (GBR) and, Philip Alexander Wender (BRA) are locked together with four points each. Stephanie Roble -- the recent Leiter Cup winner -- is the top female and top North American sailor in this 92-boat regatta, currently in 15th place. -- http://www.barringtonyc.com/2005laser4.7worlds.htm * Great Britain's Chris Draper/ Simon Hiscocks lead the 86-boat Schenker 49er European Championships in Vallensbæk, Denmark. After four races, the USA's Morgan Larson/ Pete Spaulding are just three points off the pace in seventh place. http://tinyurl.com/8ybka * Brazilian Robert Scheidt holds a slim one point lead over Great Britain's Paul Goodison after six races (one discard) in the Laser European Championships in Murcia, Spain. Andrew Campbell is the top North American in 27th place of this 129 boat regatta. -- http://www.europeanlaser2005.com/ * Ben Ainslie continues on his undefeated run by taking the 3rd race of the Finn European Championship. The racing committee who had to deal with shifting winds, poor visibility and heavy showers, and was kept busy resetting the course. Beginning with 24 knots, the wind took a 65 degrees change after the top mark upsetting placing. Ainslie is now 13 points ahead of Marin Misura on equal points with Spanish Silver medallist Rafael Trujillo. Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic "with the USA's Zach Railey the third place junior in 25th place in the 73-boat fleet. -- www.eurofinn2005.org * Varberg, Sweden -- After four races at the Ringhals Star Class European Championship, former world champions Iain Percy/ Steve Mitchell (GBR) hold a 16 point lead over Hans Spitzauer/ Adi Luzlbauer (AUT) with Fredrik Lööf/ Anders Ekström (SWE) seven point futher back. George Szabo/ Christian Finnsgård are the top North American team, currently in eighth place in the 67-boat fleet. -- http://www.vss.org.se/em/res/seriesstanding.html * Australians Darren Bundock/ Aaron Worrall lead Fernando Echavarr/ Antón Paz (ESP) by a single point after four races at the Tornado European Championships in Västervik, Sweden. American's John Lovell and Charlie Ogletree are in sixth place just nine points behind the leaders in this 60-boat championship. -- http://www.multihullsweden.com/results.htm * After six races, the USA's Michael Anderson-Mitterling/ David Hughes are currently in third place in the 470 US Nationals in Santa Cruz behind two teams from Japan -- Seki Kazuto/ Yanagawa Shouichi and Tetsuya Matsunaga/ Taro Veho. Only two points separate the top three teams. Stuart McNay/ Graham Biehl (USA) are in fourth place with Canada's Stephane Locas/ Oliver Bone in sixth. In seventh place in the 21-boat fleet are Erin Maxwell/ Alice Manard (USA) -- the second place female team behind Olympic Bronze Medalists and defending World Champions Therese Torgensson and Vendela Zachrisson from Sweden (fifth place). -- http://tinyurl.com/c3rtb J/65 HULL #1 ROLLS OUT THE DOOR J Boats' newest and largest addition to the fleet, the J/65, completes this week at Pearson Composites in Warren, RI. Hull #1 is trucking to San Diego for commissioning and sea-trials before cruising to Hawaii and the South Pacific. Images and updates to be posted at: http://www.jboats.com/j65 LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. This is neither 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. And please save your bashing, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere.) * From John Winder, Sailing Vessel Valour: (A different perspective on the Irish Sea.): Just wanted to report that there is still some civilization out here on the race course. So far this morning, we've reloaded the cappucino machine several times and have eplenished the tanks with sufficient water for showers all around. The crew is still recovering from last night's double feature, viewed on one of the two screens on deck. The dining has been fabulous, and we miss having a grinder for our morning exercise. As a result, none of the clothing distributed prior to the race fits any more. Our friend the Code Zero has had a workout this race, as has the big asym. Our navigator Alastair has done a superb job with his local knowledge, although we have had some major distractions.The passage through the bricks at the Lizard was well worth the price of admission. One of the boats nearby found the edges of the inside route the hard way. Hopefully the wind will pick up this PM for the young teenager's 17th birthday party. * From Alex Arnold: While watching the one design racing in Marblehead last weekend and reflecting on questions from friends about why we're not out there with the Rhodes fleet anymore, I realized that one reason is that, on a typical light air day, it takes longer to get to and from the race course than it does to race. Sure was great when racing was closer in. Currents and islands impact every boat and it's a local fleet, so there's no "local knowledge" advantage. * From Dave Tew: My Dad let me start our Rhodes Swiftsure when I was fifteen years old in one of the early Wianno YC "Bang and Go Back" races. Using a Vanderbilt timed start we hit the line at the committee boat just right and to windward of a number of bigger boats. The shotgun smoke in our eyes impressed Dad no end. Quite a sight (a bit scary for me) and a great, family-friendly event. * From John Sweeney (In response to 'Rendering Assistance'): While its simple to say that there can be no exception to rendering assistance to someone in need, there are some points that are worth discussion. I'm reminded of a spring series race on Long Island Sound. A sailor fell off of a Melges 24 on a downwind leg. The conditions were strong winds, moderate seas, cold water. However the sailor was wearing a life vest and dry suit. In the time that it took the Melges to drop the chute and head back to the m.o.b. a number of other boats attempted to assist. The sailor, not wanting to cause his boat to forfeit the race, waved them off. So when does a m.o.b. have the right to refuse assistance? What fault can be laid on any boat that heeds direction from the person in the water that is not in apparent danger? "In Danger" is sometimes a matter of interpretation and difficult to define. * From Peter O. Allen, Sr: In 'Butt 1899 John Powers asked us: "Why is it necessary (for Storm Trysail Club) to formalize a set of guidelines for something (basically Ethics in sailboat racing) that is just plain common sense?" For the same reason that business schools have found it necessary to add Ethics courses to their curricula, and have found a ready market for postgraduate seminars in the subject. If corporate America is floundering to grapple with this problem, then those involved with our sport should consider ourselves lucky that so few racers ignore its ethics. Unfortunately, those few seem not to care about the opinion of their fellow competitors. So maybe the organizers and MNAs really do need to expose and formalize the guidelines of the ethics of sailboat racing. * From Alfred Poor: John C. Powers wrote a letter for SB 1899: "I just read the Storm Trysail Club draft concerning "Rendering Assistance". Why is it necessary to formalize a set of guidelines for something that is just plain common sense?" To which I would simply point out: "Common-sense appears to be only another name for the thoughtlessness of the unthinking." W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1966), British author. A Writer's Notebook, entry for 1901 (1949). * From Mike Rose, Auckland, New Zealand (Re: Ben Lexen's absence from the America's Cup Hall of Fame): Notice that this thread has reappeared. Am I the only 'Butthead who doesn't know why Ben Lexen has not been inducted? If so, would one of those in the know (perhaps a long standing member of the America's Cup Hall of Fame selection committee), be able to enlighten me? I am sure these worthy people have a very good reason, it's just that it escapes me (and apparently a good many other 'Buttheads). * From Jo Mogle (In response to Jon Alvord's comment about the Sharon Green's photos showing crewmembers sans PFDs in the recent Waikiki YC Series): While I do not disagree with Jon's thinking regarding the advisability of wearing PFDs in high winds and seas, it is of interest that the only fatality in the history of Hawaiian open ocean racing events was aboard a Japanese all-female-crew boat named "AN" in the 1990 Kenwood Cup. All of the crewmembers were wearing inflatable PFDs. One became entangled in the boat's running rigging, however, and drowned when the boat sank. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION My mother taught me about hypocrisy -- "If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!" |
