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SCUTTLEBUTT 1590 - May 25, 2004Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt is adigest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere. GBR CHALLENGE GBR Challenge issued an update about its sailing programme, which starts on 28th June 2004. A squad of sailors has been put together to complete this initial period of sailing and on water testing. This complements the overall design testing programme and begins the next phase of team development and progress. Derek Clark, Head of Design, stated, "Our design programme has been ongoing since April 2003 and we have already carried out two stages of tank testing, which have led to some exciting results. We are finalizing modifications to GBR 70 so that we can move quickly to full size on water testing during this summer period." A sailing squad has been put together for the Summer 2004 programme and it includes many of the talented sailors that were involved in the previous GBR Challenge campaign. "For this testing period, we were looking to bring in sailors who could immediately step into the frame, in order to maximize the effectiveness of this test period. The Summer 2004 sailing squad gives us continuity from the last Challenge. Many of the sailors have existing commitments at this stage, so a squad is an ideal way for them to ramp up their involvement in GBR Challenge. We are currently in conversation with a number of other potential squad members, from both the UK and abroad, and will be adding further sailors as time progresses," commented James Stagg, who has been responsible for coordinating the squad. GBR Challenge is in the final stages of sponsor negotiations and, with the start of sailing and increased team visibility on the water from end June onwards, sponsors will be able to see an immediate benefit from their involvement. Vicky Low, www.gbrchallenge.com/ KINANTHROPOMETRY With a brisk northeasterly wind blowing, 10 of the 11 crews registered in the ACI HTmobile Cup spent today practicing for the sixth of eight events on the Swedish Match Tour. The day began with the crews going through the ritual weigh-in process. The bane of sailors worldwide, some crews had to go through the process more than once when they were over the 437.5 kilogram (964.5 pound) weight limit. during the process, some crews also participated in a voluntary survey being conducted by a local professor of physical education. Mladen Marinoviæ, the professor of Physical Education at the School of Kinesiology in Split, collected data on 15 sailors. He studies kinanthropometry, which he defines as the sports science dealing with the study of human size, shape, proportion, composition, maturation and gross function in order to help understand growth, exercise performance and nutrition. "I'm trying to determine what makes a sailor physically," Marinoviæ said. Marinoviæ has conducted the study on athletes from sports such as rowing, tennis, swimming, volleyball and basketball. He's also been working with sailors for the last six years. "Six years ago, when I started doing this survey, sailors used to have a big amount of body fat," said Marinoviæ. "They didn't pay attention to fitness training." Marinoviæ said it was too early to determine the results of the data he collected this morning. Skippered-teams include: Mate Arapov (CRO), Gavin Brady (NZL), Frano Brate (CRO), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN), Kelvin Harrap (NZL), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Staffan Lindberg (FIN), Bertrand Pace (FRA), Mattias Rahm (SWE) and Mathieu Richard (FRA). The field was reduced by one when Italain Paolo Cian withdrew at the last moment. - Sean McNeill, www.swedishmatchtour.com/ CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar FAST DOWNWIND? It's easy to sail target speed downwind. Slow? Sail 10 degrees closer to the wind and watch the boatspeed jump. Unfortunately, this kind of fast generally isn't. Finding the right angle at the correct speed is not so easy without Ockam. We've got lots of ways to help you nail the angles - the Tryad T1 processor serves target angle directly from its CF card. OckamSoft 4 turbocharges the 001 CPU, 25 bucks for the OckamU manual shows you how to get started on a piece of duct tape in the cockpit. Contact Tom Davis (tom@ockam.com) or visit http://www.ockam.com STATISTICAL PROBABILITY Statistics from the past eleven editions of The Transat indicate that (based on averages) slightly less than three quarters of the race fleet will cross the finish line in Boston. For those entered in this year's race there is a probability that seven of the yachts will not complete the course due to retirement forced by equipment failure or injury sustained by a skipper, abandonment of a yacht or disqualification for an infringement of the race rules. Since 1968, when 50% of the fleet failed to complete the course, advances in boat design and technology have been matched by an increased focus upon the importance of safety measures onboard competing yachts. Britain's Department of Transport first became involved in formalizing the regulation of safety equipment on transatlantic race yachts in 1972 and today the role of ensuring that the current race regulations are met rests on the shoulders of The Transat Race Direction team. The monohulls and multihulls are also regulated by their independent class associations - ORMA for the 60ft multihulls, IMOCA for the 60ft monohulls and FICO the for 50ft fleet. - http://www.thetransat.com ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON . . . San Francisco, CA - On Sunday May 23, Chip Wasson (Treasure Island, CA) Steve Gibson (Mountain View, CA) and Jeff Kafka (Pacifica, CA) completed the 28 mile crossing from the South East Farallon Island through the Golden Gate Bridge landing in San Francisco at Crissy Field, each riding a 4 foot board and powered solely by kites. Landing on the islands is prohibited so riders had a support team of two boats with a crew of experienced kiteboarders to create the right conditions for an open ocean launch in the Shark-infested waters. "Our primary challenge was getting the kites rigged and launched from the boats in the windy, choppy conditions. Once all 3 launches came off with out a hitch we knew we had a pretty good shot at completing the crossing" said Chip Wasson, The Northwest winds averaged between 12-28 MPH as the riders rode downwind from the Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge, completing the journey in exactly 2 hours. Kiteboarders have completed other major crossings from Catalina Island to Long Beach CA and from Florida to Cuba but the Farallon present a unique set of challenges since riders can not land on the island and because of the reputation as a shark breeding ground. Trip coordinator, Steve Gibson commented, "We probably could have used more time to prepare, but based on the wind, currents and shark migration patterns we knew we had a narrow window to hit so we decided to go for it. Sharks were definitely a consideration, but sharks can't fly and kiteboarders can" MEGA YACHTS * After completing sea-trials in Auckland in April and May, the 54m (178ft) Dubois-designed sloop Tiara landed an EC 130 helicopter on the aft-deck. It is believed Tiara is the first privately-owned sailing yacht with a helipad. Tiara, built by Alloy Yachts Auckland New Zealand, was specifically designed to accommodate the owner's seven-seat helicopter. The aft deck has landing lights sunk into the teak and the yacht has aviation communications systems. For landings and take-offs, the twin backstays have to be disconnected. The rig was designed with swept-back spreaders, so that it remains supported without backstays. The boom is swung out to one side, the pushpit and aft-deck stanchions are removed and the yacht is ready for the helicopter to land. A few days after the helicopter landing, Tiara departed Auckland, heading across the Pacific for Panama via French Polynesia on its way to the Mediterranean. Trust me - you've got to see these images: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/04/tiara/ * The Yachting Universe website has a two-part photo tour of Mirabella V posted. If you like big, you'll like the tours: http://tinyurl.com/28oje & http://tinyurl.com/2j5w9 BLOKART ANYWHERE ANYTIME ANYAGE, ON LAND, SAND OR ICE Now over 4,000 land or ice Blokarts. Great fun and excitement for the family. All from one small bag. In 30 minutes you can setup, have fun sailing around at 50 mph, unrig and be driving away. Blokart anywhere, anytime, anyage. Available through dealers, West Marine or direct. 1-877-blokart, http://www.blokartusa.com HARD WATER SAILING What's a sailor from Wisconsin to do from November to March? I've tried it all: frostbiting Lasers in Lake Michigan - frozen mainsheets convinced me to give that up. Traveling to Key West for race week, south for a one-design Midwinters, or even the Caribbean were other options that help northern sailors through the dark months. I used to think these were good options, but then I caught the bug, the iceboating bug, that is. My wife would probably call it a terminal disease. Now I race iceboats. DN iceboats to be exact. It kind of sneaks up on you, and then wham! You're hooked! It's the Speed- Jorg Bohn, a German DN sailor was recently clocked doing 77 mph downwind at the World Championships in Balaton, Hungary. It's the Competition-currently there are fleets in 20 countries. The World championships regularly draw over 200 competitors and the competition is fierce. It's the competitors-I've never met a friendlier group of sailors in any class. People are willing to share information or help with equipment problems like I've never seen. It's the boats-The DN is a very dynamic platform. The mast, sail, runner plank, hull, runners, and skipper must all work together in harmony to get the most out of the boat. The DN is a one design class, but there's plenty of room in the official specifications to allow tweaking. This makes for a very complex sailing machine. If you like speed, a high level of competition, great camaraderie, all on a "boat" that is car top-able and home build-able, give this class a try! I did and am hopelessly hooked. Given the choice between 15 Farr 40's on the line in Key West, or 50 DN's on the line on Lake Winnebago in front of the South Side Ice Yacht Club in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, I'll take DN's every time. - Steve Orlebeke, Harken website, full story: http://www.harken.com/sailing/iceboatorley.php NEWS BRIEFS * IMS Racing and IMS Cruiser/Racer yachts that have now been accepted for entry in the 2004 Newport Bermuda Race may now sign up for the seven-race Onion Patch Series as an individual entry in the three-event series and also enter as a three-boat Onion Patch team( s ). Once you successfully log on, your personal and yacht data will be retained for subsequent entries to the NYYC Annual Regatta, the Bermuda Race and the RBYC Anniversary Regatta. Entry is 'on-line' at the New York Yacht Club web site: www.nyyc.org * Ansys, Inc., a global innovator of simulation software and technologies designed to optimize product development processes, announced a four year Official Supplier contract with Team Alinghi, the Swiss sailing team. Ansys' multi-physics-based integrated solutions will be used in the design of the mast and keel fin. They will also analyze the composite structures in the boats and study underwater components and the mast/ sail interaction. - www.ansys.com * Very light air made it impossible to run races on Day Two of the Harken Laser Masters Championship in Bitez, Turkey. The standings from Day One are posted on-line: www.laserinternational.org TEAM RACING The ISSA Baker Team Racing Championship (National High School Championship) was hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy, 21-23 May. Twelve teams representing districts across the country competed in hot, sticky, light air conditions Saturday and Sunday. At the end of of the Initial round robin rotation, Hotchkiss School (Connecticut) was tied with Point Loma (California) with 9 wins and 2 losses. Antilles School (U.S. Virgin Islands), St. Georges (Rhode Island), and Tabor Academy (Massachusetts) followed, all tied with 8 wins and 3 losses. After a sail off to determine the final four, Antilles dropped back to the Silver consolation series. Final results after the Final four round robin were: 1. Pt. Loma 12 wins / 2 losses 2. Hotchkiss 10 wins / 4 losses 3. St. Georges 9 wins / 5 losses 4. Tabor Academy 9 wins / 5 losses Full results: http://usna.edu//SailingTeam/intercollegiate/baker/baker.htm CAMET ARUBA SHORTS The new design of Camet Shorts are a plain front style, made out of fast drying Supplex® nylon, with a reinforced Cordura® seat patch for an optional foam pad, roomy right side cargo pocket with Velcro® closure flap and an internal phone pocket. Two deep side pockets, as well as Velcro® waist adjustment straps. Gusset design, for full range of motion. Fabric has a UV rating of 40, blocks 97.5 % of UV rays, and provides excellent skin protection. Check out the Camet shorts in the different styles and colors, and the Coolmax shirts, on their web page. http://www.camet.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com) (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 nor a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.) * From Richard Goldsmith (edited to our 250-word limit): Jim Teeters comments on two distinct groups of owners are very true. Two rules in two main countries however, just draws more owners to one design like Farr 40 and Mumm 30's. I would suggest a freeze of rating date each year - ie you only build one yacht a year or you can do update mods but by a date say at the start of the Northern Summer season your rating locks for 12 months. That's it no change. If you have a yacht measured in or chartered you can't launch a new one just before the worlds or major serious, your stuck for 12 months with your declared rating. The other problem with two rules in the major countries is like cars and driving in USA and UK. Which rule do the minor countries owners follow in these days of world wide regatta circuit? Come on guys get the boys back together and sort it out. Draft a rule maybe with choice of clauses in problem areas. Then email to every registered owner in the rating classes the new rule is designed to cover. They have 28 days to vote on basis of one vote per rating certificate owned per yacht (ie don't get 2 votes if under 2 rules say IMS IRC). The owners after all are the ones who will decide the new rules success or not and have most money at risk. Democracy? * From Ed Cesare: Thanks for excerpting the Daily Sail interview with Jim Teeters. I think the reason that Jim outlined for US Sailing pulling out of the RWP is a perfectly valid one. If US Sailing feels it needs to accommodate the interests of the "top 5%" of Grand Prix owners that is perfectly OK with me. However, as the national governing body for the sport they need to communicate that to the membership. I'm sure there are many other members out there who feel differently than I do. * From Alice Leahey (Re Richard Hazelton's distress over not finding Gary Jobson's 25 Years of Sailing on ESPN): Since the show was (as was clearly announced on Jobson's website, in Scuttlebutt, on the ESPN website, and in TV Guide) on ESPN Classic, it is no wonder Mr. Hazelton was unable to find it on ESPN. I successfully recorded the 6PM PDT show while racing on Wednesday night, and enjoyed watching it the following day. Let's not be too quick to criticize those who bring us the (very) few shows on our sport, especially if we have not first ensured that we have our facts straight. We may wish that these programs were shown on channels more widely available, but we take what we can get. As for shows being aired at "viewable times", that's what VCR's and Tivo are for. * From Reggie Fairchild: Since so many people weren't able to see ESPN's 25 years of Sailing, can someone with a senior contact at ESPN ask them to put it up on the web? Then people can watch it whenever they're able to. * From Doug Weitz: "A Weighty Issue" is certainly a topic worthy of further discussion and regulation, however, a "Zero Tolerance" policy is not the answer. There are two themes here - health and fairness of competition. On the health side, I can tell you from experience that rapid weight loss via dehydration is very dangerous. I developed a kidney stone and can assure everyone that the misery and effect on performance, far outweighed any benefit. Education is important, but you cannot regulate how people choose to take care of themselves. Sailors, like most athletes, will continue to make the necessary sacrifices to win and a zero tolerance policy may very well have a negative impact by forcing unhealthy methods of weight loss to continue days longer and through a period in which excessive physical activity necessitates proper nourishment. On the fairness side, teams that lose considerable weight just prior to a regatta and gain it back for racing, obtain a significant advantage over those sailing at their normal weight. There should be regulations against this, but let's be realistic and practical. We all have a certain amount of fluctuation in weight that is normal - let's say 2% (+/-). That amount would not provide a team with a significant advantage, but would allow everyone to eat, drink and be healthy, not to mention merry, for the duration of the regatta. I agree that weigh-ins, subsequent to the initial pre-race type (random or otherwise), be conducted, but with a sensible allowance for fluctuation. Curmudgeon's Comment: If you placed the "sensible allowance" at say 2%, wouldn't that in effect become the new de facto weight limit for the class? * From Guy Brierre: What Messrs. Klompus, Rosenberg, Russell fail to realize is that weigh-ins are not a rule, they are a means of enforcement of a rule. Changing the procedures will only catch those who cheat, so if you don't cheat there's nothing to worry about. If everyone knows that strict enforcement is in order, everyone will abide by the rules or get tossed. I am not aware of a single weight rule that says that the max weight only applies at a certain point in the regatta. It says that the max weight is "x." It is ridiculous to suggest that each crew should be allowed to gain up to four pounds during the regatta over and above the already established max weight. It is a simple rule, people. Either abide by the rule or find another class. * From Dave Culp: Stephanie Helms' letter on sexual reassignment surgery says in part, "To think anybody would undergo sex reassignment in order to achieve a competitive advantage in some sporting contest is such a ludicrous notion it hardly bears comment." I would like to believe this is true, yet I wonder at the proportion of such surgeries, on a per capita basis, amongst professional and semi-professional sportspersons versus the general public. However, it does not really matter, in my view. Any sportsperson seeking unfair advantage due to muscular bulking--be it steroids, genetic enhancement, sexual reassignment, whatever, needs to be kept separate from un-enhanced performers. Not necessarily banned, but run in a separate league. Again, in my view, it is ludicrous to allow sexually reassigned male athletes to compete against genetic females. I fail to understand why this has ever been allowed in any sport. THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy. |
