|
SCUTTLEBUTT 2065 - April 4, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.ANYTHING BUT SIMPLE The first 24 hours of leg five of the Volvo Ocean Race from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to Baltimore in the USA has been anything but simple. With the scoring gate at Fernando de Noronha just 1000 or so miles ahead, the teams are sailing their boats as if it was an inshore regatta. It is not often that all the boats are in sight of each other, but that is the situation tonight on the race track. With the fleet this close together, concentration has to be at 100 per cent for every second of the day and night. The fleet is dodging large black rain clouds which play havoc with the wind. “It’s like musical chairs out here,” wrote Paul Cayard from Pirates of the Caribbean. “We are changing sails, monitoring the radar to track the speed and course of the clouds and then changing our course to try and avoid the largest potholes.” Monday night, movistar (Bouwe Bekking) was the furthest yacht to the west, 67 nautical miles from the shore, while 11 miles to the east is Pirates of the Caribbean, level pegging with ABN Amro Two(Sebastien Josse). Ericsson (John Kostecki) has swapped places with Brasil 1 (Torben Grael) and now occupies fifth position, while movistar languishes in last place, but only six miles adrift. -- http://www.volvooceanrace.org Volvo Ocean Race Positions at 2200 GMT Monday 1. Team ABN Amro One, Mike Sanderson, 4569 miles to finish 2. Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard, +2 miles 3. Team ABN Amro Two, Sebastien Josse, +2 miles 4. Brasil 1, Torben Grael, +5 miles 5. Ericsson Racing Team Neal McDonald, +5 miles 6. Movistar, Bouwe Bekking, +6 miles QUOTE / UNQUOTE “We have been at sea now for nearly 24 hours but it feels like an inshore race at the moment. It’s not often that all the boats are in sight of each other but that's exactly the situation we have now. It’s very different from the extreme conditions of the Southern Ocean but it's certainly no less challenging.” -- Steve Hayles, Ericsson navigator “We are dodging large clouds which dump rain and play havoc with the wind. These clouds are part of a disintegrating cold front that has been lingering in the area for a week. We will eventually have to penetrate it and get through it. In the past six hours, ABN Amro One and our selves got too close to a cloud and parked and that let ABN Amro Two and Ericsson get about 5 miles ahead of us. Brasil 1 and Movistar also appeared from over the horizon as we sat there making 3 knots. About two hours later, Ericsson and ABN Amro Two returned the favor by getting too close to a cloud and letting us get to windward of them. Sure enough, we ate up their 5 mile lead and put some on them. It is like musical chairs out here. The only common thread is that ABN Amro One is the fastest boat almost all the time. We got ahead of her in the park up and as soon as the wind filled in steadily for both of us, she blew by us. It was so impressive we video taped it.” -- Paul Cayard, Pirates of the Caribbean skipper JOHN KOSTECKI (Prior to the Volvo Race start The Daily Sail subscription website spoke to Ericsson's new skipper and 2001-2 race winner John Kostecki. Here’s an excerpt.) Kostecki is being tight lipped about any specific area of the sail program that is lacking. But a criticism of it has been that there are some significant holes in the performance envelope that are entirely the result of not having the correct piece of canvas for the job. With the limited sail wardrobe this has been the case with all the boats, but seems to have affect Ericsson worst than most. The Ericsson sail program has not benefited from some initial dithering over the team's sail maker, Doyles chosen from the outset but subsequently replaced by North Sails in the UK. "I think that had a little bit to do with the late timing because Ericsson came in late with the sponsorship and I don’t know the exact details but I guess Volvo was building the boat to begin with and it came down the time line where they needed to start ordering sails and so they ordered the Doyles sails and at some point in there we switched over to the North Sails." Kostecki also maintains that the team having to focus so much on their canting keel woes in the early stages of the race detracted from their developing the sail program. Obviously one of the key relationships on board will be between Kostecki and his navigator Steve Hayles. However the duo have raced together extensively at BMW Oracle Racing. "Steve I probably know second best and worked with him the most," says Kostecki." -- http://www.thedailysail.com CODE ZERO IS HERE It is time to leave the average T-shirt behind and go with this high performance technical shirt. The double circular knit, lightweight fabric is made for extreme wicking comfort, fast drying, while still offering maximum UV protection. Perfect for single and multiple layering. Features include a comfortable crew neck and flatlock seams that move with you. Underarm and side panels allow for a comfortable range of motion. Used and tested by teams in Valencia, Miami, St. Maarten, and St.Thomas. Three different color combinations, with either long or short sleeves. http://www.camet.com BREAKTHROUGH? On Saturday Alinghi sailed with a new rig in one of their boats -- to the best of our knowledge the first rig in the history of the AC Class not to have jumper-struts. The advantage, presumably, is less windage aloft. Note, however, that the mast section at the top appears rather larger than the mast with jumper-struts. This mod is not something that can happen overnight. It is not a simple matter of taking off the jumper struts. The design/build cycle for a new mast, or modified old mast, that could support and control the mainsail loads at the masthead without jumpers would be many months, or so we are told. In the days ahead, it will be interesting to see if Alinghi's new jumper-less rig is indeed stiff enough, and if they are able to control the top of the mainsail. If it does work, why would you expose it this early in the Cup design/build cycle? Or could it be an (other) April Fools' joke? -- Blog of the Challenger Commission for the 32nd America's Cup. To check out the photos: http://www.challengercommission.com/2006/04/alinghis-jumper-less-rig.htm l TRIVIA QUESTION In 1977, two Australian blokes voyaged 2,498 miles from Darwin, Australia to Singapore aboard a very unique twenty-three foot vessel. What was so unique about their vessel? PARTY TIME In anticipation of the 5th Annual Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Championships and the 20th Annual Pro Am Regatta, the Bitter End Yacht Club is having a party at their Booth (#208) at the Strictly Sail Pacific Boat Show (formerly Pacific Sail Expo). The gathering will be on Thursday April 20th at 5:00 pm. Scuttlebutt readers are welcome to come enjoy a day at the Show, and stop by the Bitter End booth for some refreshments, meet the Curmudgeon and to find out how one can participate in one or both events. There will be an opportunity to enter to win a 4 day/3 night vacation for two, which can be used during the Pro Am. LASER MIDWINTERS WEST Over the weekend the Mission Bay Yacht Club in San Diego, California, USA hosted the ISAF Grade 2 Laser Midwinters West. 17 year old Royce Weber (USA) took the Laser title by the narrowest of margins, whilst victory in the Laser Radial went to number nine in the ISAF World Sailing Rankings Victoria Crowder (CAN). Over 150 sailors took to the waters of San Diego to contest the Midwinters, with the Laser competition marked by very close competition at the front. 2005 ISAF Youth Worlds USA representative Webber led Brendan Fahey (USA) by a single point going into the final race, Fred Strammer (USA) just one point back in third place. Despite falling behind Fahey, Weber kept a cool head to come in fourth to his rival’s third, whilst Strammer took fifth. This gave Weber the title on countback, thanks to his two bullets in races two and five. Amongst the Laser Radials, Crowder was a more comfortable winner, recovering from a poor first race to post four top five finishes in a row. She took the women’s crown ahead of Isabella Bertold (CAN) and Haley McLean (CAN). -- http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j6qFh/Avw Complete results: http://www.mbyc.org/regatta/2006/2006laserMWW/results.htm PAINT YOUR BOTTOM, BUFF YOUR TOPSIDES & TIE ONE ONNE! It’s spring and the Onne van der Wal Gallery is launching a new website and a super sale! Buy one print and get the second half off! (equal or lesser value, of course!) Limited Editions, Mini Prints & custom prints from regattas. http://www.vanderwal.com HIGH SPEED The OC Group (Offshore Challenges, as was) is on the verge of selling the maxi catamaran Kingfisher 2, confirms CEO Mark Turner. The 110ft cat was dismasted in the Southern Ocean in February 2003 during Ellen MacArthur's ill-fated crewed round the world record attempt and has been mothballed ever since – long enough to earn the unkind (if amusing) nickname 'The Orange Lemon'. The buyer, apparently, is Baron Benjamin de Rothschild's Gitana Team, based in La Trinité sur Mer in France. The maxi cat will join his racing stable, which includes the 60ft trimaran Gitana XI. The maxi cat will have a new rig and be refitted to take part in the 2007 maxi-mulithull race from Vannes in France to Iceland and back. -- Elaine Bunting's yachting log, http://www.elainebunting.blogspot.com/ NEWS BRIEFS * The ISAF Grade 1 Kiel Week (June 17-25) is adopting the new Olympic Format for this year’s event, with the top ten crews across the Olympic Classes going into a Medal Race shoot out on the final day. The same format will be used in Qingdao, China at the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition, and has already been adopted by the two ISAF Grade 1 all Olympic Classes events so far this year, Sail Melbourne and the Rolex Miami OCR. -- http://www.sailing.org * Brad Nieuwstad sailed The Olympic Classes Regatta this past weekend at Alamitos Bay YC with two broken bones in his right hand in the Finn class to make the fifth slot on the US Sailing Team. He knew that with the recent turn of events he could make the team if he placed tenth or better so wrapped his recently broken hand in duct tape and developed some unusual tacking techniques using only two fingers in his right hand. Broken only one week before and sailing against doctor's orders he said "my hand was a little sore after the races." -- http://www.abyc.org * South Africa's first America's Cup yacht, the old RSA 48, is heading back to Europe to re-enter the fray. The first yacht of the country's America's Cup challenge team, Shosholoza, RSA 48 is not going to race, but it will act as support boat for the team's challenger for this year's Louis Vuitton pre-cup regattas. RSA 48 was bought from the Italian team Prada in 2004. It was built for the 2000 America's Cup contest. Under the new rules, it had to sail with considerably less sail area than the newer boats. -- Cape Argus, http://tinyurl.com/e56bg * Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Nick Scandone, four members of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team and 2000 Olympic silver medalist Pease Glaser will be among the all-star faculty for the California International Sailing Association's 29th Advanced Racing Clinic April 8-11 at Alamitos Bay YC. More than a hundred of the most promising boy and girl sailors 13 years and older from 17 states will participate after being selected based upon their competitive resumes. The intense program will mix lectures with on-the-water drills targeting tactics, sail trim and boat handling in Club 420s, I-420s, Laser Radials, CFJs, Lasers, and 29ers. -- http://www.cisasailing.org * Dee Caffari is expected to round the Cape of Good Hope Monday, propelling her attempt to become the first woman to sail round the world solo and non-stop against the prevailing winds and currents into a new and exciting chapter. She has set herself the goal of 12th May to cross the finish line off Ushant. If she achieves this it will bring her total number of days alone at sea to 172. Caffari has now sailed nearly 22,000 miles. -- http://www.avivachallenge.com * Offshore Sailing School has opened of its newest metro location at the New York Maritime College (SUNY) at Fort Schuyler. Located on a 55-acre scenic waterfront property on the Throggs Neck peninsula where the East River meets Long Island Sound. SUNY Maritime is Offshore’s third campus in the New York metro area. Sister locations include Chelsea Piers in Manhattan and Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City. All three campuses are open mid-April through October. ~ www.offshore-sailing.com * On Wednesday of next week, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06. This won't ever happen again (Unless you are able to wait for another hundred years). * New boating TV channel to be launched in Dubai. Knotika Holding said in a statement that it will be launching a new TV channel to become the marine industry's "leading TV channel, dedicated to covering every sector in the arena of waterborne craft and waterfronts." Knotika TV, which is under development, will be aimed at the marine and shipping industries -- "from sailboats to supertankers," said the statement. The channel will use news formats, live webcasts, archived videos and expert interviews across a wide range of topics. - IBI News, full story: http://tinyurl.com/kdzmr * In a packed Clarendon Bar in Dublin City Centre last night the Irish Sailing Association and SLAM announced that SLAM are now Official Clothing Sponsor to the Irish Olympic Sailing Team, supplying the squad with all its technical sailing clothing. This arrangement marks a significant step forward in the developing relationship between SLAM and Irish Sailing. The arrangement is in place up to and including the Olympic Games in Beijing. ~ The Daily Sail subscription website, full story: www.thedailysail.com * BoatU.S. Government Affairs team has developed the online "Grassroots Lobbying Tool Kit" to support boaters facing local issues that may be averse to their interests "While national associations can have a tremendous impact on Congress, local politicians want to hear from their constituents on local issues," said Michael Sciulla, senior vice president of BoatU.S. government and public affairs. Details can be found at http://www.BoatUS.com/gov/toolkit OPENING DAY Plans are in the works for Opening Day festivities at most clubs around the US (and the world?), and Scuttlebutt Sailing Club is no different. The SSC burgee is now available to include as part of your yacht decoration plans: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/store TRIVIA ANSWER The vessel that helped get the Australian travelers from Darwin to Singapore was constructed with fifteen thousand beer cans. Named the Can-Tiki, she actually did quite well, covering the 2,498 miles in twelve days. Their hero was Thor Hyerdahl, who drifted on his raft, the Kon-Tiki from Peru to the Polynesian island of Paroia to prove South Americans could have populated the islands by sailing there in raft boats (instead of beer boats). Interestingly, this was the same year that the Swedish America’s Cup Team, sailing Sverige, thought that it would be better to use leg power rather than arm power to propel their primary winches. Chances are, neither of these two ideas have been repeated again. (This trivia question came courtesy of the book, “Name That Boat” by Carol Lea Mueller. Book details are available at http://tinyurl.com/jbjeh) 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. 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, and personal attacks for elsewhere. For those that prefer a Forum, you can post your thoughts at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From Bruce Munro: With the start from Rio, it is interesting to note that we now have the two previous winning skippers of the "Round the World Race" competing against each other. They often sailed together as skipper and tactician in the challenger series for the 2000 America's Cup. Both are avid world class Star boat sailors and they both belong to the same yacht club. Sometimes sailing can be a very small club. Curmudgeon’s Comment: For those who have not figured it out, St. Francis YC Staff Commodore Munro is referring to Paul Cayard and John Kostecki -- both members of StFYC. * From Chris Ericksen: I don't think David Anderson is right when he says that Chicago Yacht Club was "the first yacht club that organized a challenge for the (America’s) Cup that was not located on a sea, or an arm of the sea" ('Butt 2064). In 1876, Major Charles Gifford of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club in Toronto challenged in "Countess of Dufferin" which sailed to New York City via the St. Lawrence River. What really tore things for the New York Yacht Club was the 1881 challenge by Alexander Cuthbert of the Bay of Quinte Yacht Club on Lake Ontario: "Atalanta" made her way to New York City via the Erie Canal, for which passage the yacht had to be ballasted to list her over enough so that she could pass through the locks. It was only after this challenge that the so-called "second Deed of Gift" was redone to require any challenger to belong to a yacht club that had "it's annual regatta on an ocean water course on the sea or an arm of the s ea." Note that a challenging club need not be located on the sea, just hold its annual regatta on the sea. My source for this information is one of the jewels of my book collection, Herbert L. Stone's "The America's Cup Races." Written in 1914 and revised in 1930, at the very dawn of the J-Class era, its last section previews the then-upcoming match of 1930 when J's were sailed the first time. * From Les Smith, Lake Macquarie, West Island. (re Kiwis being too nice, and Aussies being like Americans) At the risk of offending those who prefer to have Scuttlebutt letters discuss matters sailing only, I offer the following observations. The comments from the NZ Sports Minister caused me to reflect on the apparent lack of killer instinct in NZ sports teams and I can assure all our readers from what I have seen of recent on both the Rugby field and the netball court the NZ killer instinct is very much alive and well. The reality is sports results are proportional to the amount of money spent on training, preparation, equipment, coaching staff, facilities etc, etc, and none more evident than in our sport. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION The most prized possession -- Integrity Special thanks to Camet International and Onne van der Wal. |
