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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 631 - August 23, 2000TRANSPAC(In an open letter to the Transpac committee members, Peter Isler implores them to abandon box rules in favor of more wide-ranging prizes for specific size categories. Here's an excerpt from that letter as published on the Quokka Sports website.) I was disturbed to read the Transpac Race 2001 press release regarding the draft box rules for the 40- and 50-foot size range, created by a subcommittee of custom boat designers. I applaud the Transpac's efforts to add to the event's excitement and importance by creating new first-to-finish prizes for the non-maxi raters. With all due respect, however, the creation of a box rule is the wrong way to achieve this goal. In fact, the creation and endorsement of such a box rule by the Transpac Race will be detrimental to the existing fleet of boats planning to sail in the race. It will ultimately discourage owners from participating and hurt yachting on the West Coast. I strongly urge the Transpac committee to abandon its efforts to create and endorse a box rule, but to move forward with the creation of "barn door/first to finish" prizes for boats of various size ranges. The result will be healthier for the sport and better for the excitement generated by first-to-finish boats in Transpac 2001. It would be much better for the owners of existing boats planning to sail in the race, too. This is a complicated issue, and the repercussions of creating these smaller-sized box rules are not immediately obvious. But I believe the result of this action will ultimately have a far greater impact on West Coast sailing than the action from a few years ago that resulted in the demise of the ULDB 70 fleet. The Transpac is an important and prestigious race. The actions that its board takes have a major impact on West Coast sailing. Please take your leadership position and role seriously, and don't "play God" inadvisably. - Peter Isler, Quokka website Full letter: http://www.quokkasailing.com/expert/08/SLQ__0814_s_isler_WFC.html USSA NOMINEES The US Sailing Nominating Committee chaired by David Irish has announced the following slate of officers to be voted on at the upcoming Annual General Meeting in October: PRESIDENT: David Rosekrans VICE PRESIDENTS: Charlie Cook, Mike Schoettle, Hal Haenel, Ted Everingham SECRETARY: Sarah Alger TREASURER: Stephen Jeffries DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Dean Brenner, Mark Reynolds, Mark Herman, Janet Baxter, Darline Hobock AREA DIRECTORS: Area D: Bill Ross, Area F: Betsy Beddow, Area H: TK Wegg, Area B: Brad Buell, Area J: Charles L. Fuller WOMANS REPRESENTATIVE: Vicki Sodaro YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE: Cory Sertl Also, the schedule for the AGM at the Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, Louisiana, October 11-15, is now online: http://www.ussailing.org/ BIG PROBLEM For as long as I can remember, I've used my tired, beat up old shorts for sailing. But no more. I've gotten spoiled by my fast drying Supplex Camet shorts, and with their foam pads that pamper my aging butt. And the Camet shorts do have a good look. So now I have a problem - what do I do with my old shorts? http://www.camet.com CODE GREEN As we put this issue of 'Butt to bed, Steve Fossett and his 11-man crew aboard the 105-foot maxi-catamaran PlayStation are still planning to depart New York on Wednesday morning (23 August) to attack the Transatlantic NY-UK sailing record. For the latest, check: http://www.fossettchallenge.com/ THE BIG BOYS You won't find a sailing regatta more glamorous than the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, and that is why some of the world's best sailors and high profile owners are converging on Porto Cervo in Sardinia from 3rd-9th September. Double Olympic medalist Thierry Peponnet will be at the helm of Carlo Perrone's stunning silver yacht Virtuelle, but must face the likes of Vasco Vascotto steering the awesome Wally yacht Tiketitan, Luca Bassani's state-of-the-art 80-footer with swinging keel. Vascotto is known for being one of the most amiable and humorous sailors on the professional circuit, but he is serious about winning. This year he has already won the Rolex IMS Offshore World Championship in Newport, Rhode Island, where he obliterated the opposition in the cruising/racing division. America's Cup helmsman Mauro Pelaschier will make sure Riccardo Bonnadeo's Maxi yacht Rrose Selavy is a formidable opponent, especially in the waters of the Costa Smeralda which he knows so well. Whilst most of the competitors this year will be from Europe, they can expect a strong challenge from the Argentinean Alberto Roemmers' Alexia and also from Roy Disney's Pyewacket, the 70-foot sled which has been enjoying a successful tour around Europe this summer. Already the nephew of the late Walt Disney has won the big boat class in Ford Cork Week in Ireland. - Susannah Bourne SHAPING YOUR MAINSAIL (Knowing how to keep your mainsail powered up and de-powered at the right times is one of the keys to improved performance on the water. On the SailNet website, Dan Dickison discusses how to use mainsail controls to optimize the sail's shape. Here's a brief excerpt from that story.) Generally, you want the draft of the sail (the deepest portion of the sail's "belly") to be about 30 percent aft of the luff In breezy conditions, you'll probably want it farther forward, so more luff tension, and in light conditions you might want it slightly aft of 30 percent, so less luff tension. Downwind, you generally want the cunningham eased to create a more full shape in the mainsail. On some boats, it's also important to ease the halyard a half-inch to an inch to get the luff of the sail properly rounded for sailing off the wind. Just remember to re-tension it before heading back upwind. The outhaul is used to alter the tension along the foot of the sail. By pulling the outhaul on, the foot gets taut and the lower portion of the mainsail becomes more flat. By releasing the tension on the outhaul, the foot becomes slack and lower portion of the sail gets more full and consequently more powerful. On smaller boats, the outhaul is often rigged externally, but on most boats 20 feet and larger, the outhaul runs through the boom. Most sailors understand that in general, you want the outhaul eased when sailing downwind, tensioned when sailing upwind, and slightly eased when on a reach. But there's a lot more you can do with an outhaul. This control is an essential element for shifting gears in response to changes in wind strength. Say you're sailing along upwind in 10 knots and you get a sustained puff that jacks the breeze up to 14 knots. More than likely your mainsail will be too full for the new breeze, a condition that will overpower the boat and create excessive weather helm for the person driving. There are several responses to this increase in wind, but essentially you want to de-power the sail plan, and you can begin doing this by flattening the lower portion of the mainsail with additional tension on the outhaul. - Dan Dickison, SailNet website Full story: http://www.sailnet.com/collections/racing/index.cfm?articleid=ddcksn0318&tfr =fp OLYMPIC VENUE Sydney Harbour is a breathtakingly beautiful aquatic arena. It provides a scenic and challenging environment for sailors, and an equally picturesque setting for spectators. Sailing fans can either watch the action up-close and personal from a specially chartered spectator boat, or for free from any one of a number of vantage points along the harbour foreshore. Rushcutters Bay is home to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which organises the world famous annual Sydney to Hobart offshore yacht race. But come 2000 it will also be the headquarters of Olympic sailing and will accommodate a large contingent of Olympic sailors and their boats. Surrounded by parkland, the picturesque bay is only minutes from the city centre on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour. Inshore sailors will use the parks for rigging and storing their dinghies. The Olympic Sailing Shore Base has been built for logistic support and competition management. It features a temporary marina, which can accommodate up to 250 boats, and four pontoons that act as dinghy launching ramps. There will be no public access to the shore base facilities during the Games. Stormwater and sewerage systems in the surrounding catchment area have been rehabilitated to improve water quality in Rushcutters Bay. http://www.olympics.com/eng/venues/RBM/index.html?/eng/venues/RBM/home.html
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