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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 948 - November 20, 2001Scuttlebutt 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.
ISAF Full story: www.madforsailing.com
TEAM TYCO Skipper Kevin Shoebridge explained, "As expected, the rudder was basically destroyed. Both halves of the stock sheered. It had no structural integrity left. All secondary bonding and taping between the two bearings had let go, or become de-bonded. The lower bearing also was damaged. The needle rollers were damaged, as the bearing has been pushed beyond its normal limits of movement. We consider it neither safe nor prudent to continue the leg, to put the boat and crew at further risk." "We will be making inquiries into getting the boat to Sydney as quickly as possible," continued Shoebridge. "We also want to do a thorough investigation on replacement parts. We'll be checking the replacement rudder and its construction, and we will be constructing another rudder as well. Despite this major setback, the mood of the crew remains positive towards the rest of the Volvo Ocean Race. "As always we're confident with the way we sail, with the people we have and the speed of our boat, which was evident by the fact we were leading the fleet when the thing happened. And although our mountain's getting a little harder to climb, it's by no means over for us," concluded Shoebridge.
THE RIGHT STUFF
VOLVO OCEAN RACE The Volvo Ocean Race fleet passed the unofficial waypoint and tactical hurdle of the Kerguelen Island. The north or south question was answered with a 50/50 split of the first six boats. Leaders djuice and Team News Corp (three miles astern), followed by Amer Sports One stuck to their fast southerly path while illbruck, Team SEB and Assa Abloy opted for a northern route past the lone Southern Ocean island. For the first time this leg, John Kostecki's team on illbruck has moved into the lead in the Volvo Ocean Race. By sailing 438 miles over the last 24 hours, the leg one winners have edged out a two mile lead over Team SEB, with ASSA ABLOY now third. These three yachts are again ticking off 400 plus mile days in the new 30-knot breeze. Past leaders Team News Corp and djuice momentarily looked like being left out of the fresh breeze as the yachts that passed to the north of the Kerguelen were the first to benefit from a new low pressure system and accelerated away. As News Corp navigator Ross Field explained this morning, the effects of the low have now trickled down their southerly latitude. "The positions have changed again as the boats in the north make gains, but we are now in nearly equal pressure and the rot is stopping. The front is moving through and we're getting winds up to 30 knots from the north west, increasing in 12 hours to 40 knots plus." The leaders now have less than 1,800 miles to sail before they leave the Southern Ocean and round the official waypoint of Eclipse Island at the southwest tip of Australia. From there, it is 1,600 miles of racing through the Great Australian Bight before entering the renowned Bass Strait and finally the short 250-mile northerly sprint up to Sydney Harbour. POSITIONS on November 21 @ 0400 GMT: 1. illbruck, 3695 to finish; 2. Team SEB, 2 miles behind leader; 3. Assa Abloy, 3 mbl; 4. News Corp, 11 mbl; 5. djuice, 21 mbl; 6. Amer Sports One, 150 mbl; 7. Amer Sports too, 480 mbl. - www.volvooceanrace.org
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON * From Steve Bodner: Paul Henderson's comments may be in line as to where the sport of windsurfing is headed, but it seems out of line with the spirit of the Olympic Games. Fitness is important and should remain an important part of any olympic windsurfing event. The ISAF has the right idea to try to locate a windier spot or time frame to contuct a "non air-rowing" dependant windsurfing event. For a Mistral one design racer who has sat on the beach waiting for wind, or raced in very marginal conditions, I know I would be doing more of the same thing if I was racing Formula. If the Olympic Games wants to be "the ultimate test" of "physical, tactical and technical aspects of Sailing" the Mistral is the way to go. The Formula class-more modern to the sport-is dependant on equipment, which the sport has always encouraged-just look at any boardhead in the country with a windsurfing van stuffed with 3 boards and 6 rigs-and not going sailing untill the wind picks up to 15k. The simplicity of the Mistral is it's one board and one sail..one design! By replacing the Mistral with the Formula class, the cheapest singlehanded Olympic class to campaign would become one of the more expensive classes to keep up with. * From George Whitehead: When Mike Ingham writes about rules simplification I think he is voicing a frustration most of us feel. But it isn't that simple. The failure of the 1996 changes to really simplify things--beyond the much-needed periodic housecleaning--is from the fundamental nature of the sport. COLREGS is much simpler than the racing rules for two primary reasons. First, once two vessels become subject to COLREGS, their relationship does not change until the encounter is over (once an overtaking vessel, always an overtaking vessel, etc.). Second, it does not contemplate mediating the behavior of more than two vessels at once. If you think about the racing rules, most of the complexity comes from these two factors as you have a bunch of boats in ever changing relationships. There seem to be two ways out. The direct answer is to allow only match races in which the first boat to gain the right of way would keep it for the duration of the race. A more complex solution is to make learning the rules an important part of learning to race and make using them properly as easy and non-threatening as possible--all the things which the topic of how to have good protest procedures has been covering. The third possibility, somehow finding a way to make the rules simple without changing the game, is a non-starter. However, if you would like to buy me a beer after the race we could talk about my good ideas on how to simplify the rules... * From Bill Simpson, US Sailing Sr. Judge: I want to team up with Mike Ingham on rule simplification. When the 1997-2000 book came out with the objective of simplification, some thought it succeeded. But compare rule 18 with the old rule 42 (rounding and passing marks) and see if you think it's simpler. Think about three or four Laser sailors converging with about two seconds to decide what to do, and you realize that no one can know the rules well enough to make those instant decisions right all the time. And the rules get more complicated with time as armchair rules makers think up all sorts of situations where this or that rule doesn't fully cover every possible circumstance. The rules should first help prevent collisions, second establish right of way, and third be simple enough so that sailors can decide quickly what to do. I think the new rules do two of three, but you cannot say they are simple. Actually Part 2, "When Boats Meet," consists of thirteen rules and takes only five pages of the 136 page book. But rule 18 alone requires a page and a half, and under certain circumstances switches other rules off (e.g. 10 and 11). So some rules do not always apply. Mark roundings become the major focal point because this is where boats converge. Maybe we need a Scuttlebutt Rules committee to further simplify the rules. I'll sign up. COMMENT FROM THE CURMUDGEON (who is also a Senior Judge): Please start without me - I think I'm busy that weekend. * From Johnny Ryan: I believe the IMCO was a great choice for the Olympics as a replacement for the Division II. At the time, the D II was practically a heavy displacement ship. The IMCO was a leap forward in level racing with the usual one-design rules. With the advent of "wide style" and formula boards, designers have made another leap forward. These new boards basically faster on any point of sail than the IMCO. Yes, the gear is more expensive and constantly evolving, but this is true with all the gear in both the winter and summer Olympics. Ask any skier, skater, runner, shooter, and swimmer. The simple formula rule one board and three sails benefits the Olympics and the class by gearing itself to the host country's event site. In minimal conditions, the right sail and fin combination, a few pumps, you're planing and having more fun than the other classes; not to mention more entertaining to the spectators. The original question of pumping becomes moot. Once planing, technique, tactics, and trimming of sails become the winning combination. Just like any yacht race. * From Laurence Mead: The fact is windsurfing is a great watersport and anyone who thinks it shouldn't be in the Olympics because it is isn't "sailing" surely lacks a common touch for all aspects of using the wind for propulsion. Granted, it is a young persons sport, and an athletic one at that, but surely it is an "Olympic" sport? The reason it's not as popular as it was is simple, it IS a high-wind sport. Windsurfing in light airs isn't getting the best from what is a truly great pastime. IN fact it's downright boring. I owned a major windsurf sailmaking business from 1990 to 1995 and we didn't make what "we" wanted, we made what people wanted to buy, which became, more and more, high wind, wave orientated gear. Nothing to do with big bad business dictating anything, just people the world over enjoying windsurfing as it is done best. In warm water and plenty of breeze.
AMERICA'S CUP WIFE With Rod sailing for Prada this time, the Davis family are in a bizarre situation. Although they are back in Auckland after six months in Italy, they are unable to move back into their Remuera house because, under the cup's nationality rule, Davis' principal residence must be in Italy for two years before the regatta. So the family is based in the Heritage's tower wing, and in the mornings Liz drives the children across the city to their schools. When they were in Italy, the children studied by correspondence for two terms and spent a few weeks in Italian schools learning the language. But Liz has some pangs of guilt about whether they have done the right thing for their kids. "I wonder if in 10 years I will look back and think I made a botch-up of our children's education," she says. "But I think they are learning so much about the world. The kids miss home - they miss playing soccer because they haven't seen winter for a couple of years. But I ask them would they rather be cold and wet, or lying on a Mediterranean beach?" - Suzanne McFadden, NZ Herald This excerpt is from a much longer story about the Prada syndicate's return to Auckland: www.nzherald.co.nz/sports/
INDUSTRY NEWS
MATCH RACING Confirmed ISAF-ranked skippers are: Marie Bjorling (SWE, ranked #1), Liz Baylis (San Francisco, Calif., USA, # 19), Marie FaurŽ (FRA, # 27), Sandy Grosvenor (Annapolis, Md., USA, #35), Charlie Arms, (Vallejo, Calif., USA, # 52), Arabella Denvir (IRL, #83) and Sandy Hayes (Scituate, Mass., USA, # 85).
QUOTES FROM THE BOATS "Cooking down south is a major exercise. We have this little gas burner with small screw-in bottles - the biggest problem is that the cold weather causes the gas to burn without much heat. Like trying to heat a saucepan of water at home using a match. Heating the water to add to the freeze-dried food takes an hour and then it cools down so quickly. - Ross Field, Team News Corp "I have just come below from the freezing fire hose that is life on deck just now, boat speed is 20 + knots and we are pushing hard. It's like being inside a freight train charging through a tunnel and thrown from side to side. I'm writing this with one finger; A, because I can't type and, B, because I'm hanging on for dear life!" - Jason Carrington, Assa Abloy
CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS * August 14-23, 2002: Star Worlds, California Yacht Club, Marina del Rey, California. www.starworlds2002.com
SHOP FROM HOME
FOR THE RECORD Nov 19: Clear skies overhead, some cloud cover to SW. Glassy seas have Great American II nearly stopped south of Australia. With winds expected to be light again tomorrow, we are digging in to try to scratch a few miles out of the light winds we are currently experiencing, and to get ready for heavier conditions later in the week. We are currently 473 nautical miles "ahead" of the clipper ship Mandarin, with 1,565 miles to go to Melbourne. - Sail magazine website, www.sailmag.com
IT'S FREE Each of the screensavers displays a dynamic changing sequence of the very best images taken from each of the events, capturing spectacular moments and breathtaking close ups of some of the most impressive racing yachts on the water. Download in PC or Mac format from www.rolex.com, click on 'Yachting Events' and then after the introduction, click on 'screensavers' and follow the on screen instructions.
TRANSAT JACQUES VABRE
THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION |
