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SCUTTLEBUTT #485 - January 19, 2000KWRWTrue champions are those who excel in all conditions, and this week, some 2,500 racers competing in 261 boats at GMC Yukon Yachting Key West Race Week are getting their chance to shine in a range of breeze. After an opening day of teen-strength wind that followed in the wake of a departing cold front, winds from the northern quadrant that never topped double-digit speeds blew for today's racing. "Today's racing will really mix it up," said one Farr 40 crew member after reaching the docks. With a 7th today, Vincenzo Onorato's Mascalone Latino still leads the Farr 40 class (after yesterday's two races, they were tied for the lead with reigning World Champion John Kilroy of California). But with a 3-minute, 11-second margin at the finish today, George Andreadis' Atalanti IX won today's sole race to move into a close second place overall. Robbie Haines is calling tactics on this Farr 40 from Greece. Long leads, however, were not the rule today: only 40 seconds separated the top five finishers in the Mumm 30 class. The French Mumm 30 Ville de St. Raphael (Nice, France), winner of the 26-boat Mumm 30 class, earned Boat-of-the-Day honors as the lead boat of this extremely tight pack. This French crew stands in second place, with Bodo von der Wense (Annapolis, Md.) leading the 26-boat class. All sixteen classes sailed one race today in breeze that averaged 6 to 8 knots. A sailor in the 1D35 class, however, clocked the breeze as low as 4, and as high at 10 in the puffs. Twenty-degree shifts moved through on some legs, but the mean wind direction on all three circles remained consistent enough for all classes to have one race and one fair test to factor into their points totals. George Collins' Santa Cruz 70 Chessie Racing may be turbo-charged for the rigors of offshore competition, but this crew handled light air around the buoys with aplomb. Collins drove most of the race, with short breaks during their 11.36-nm race from former Rolex Yachtsman Chris Larson (Annapolis, Md.). According to Larson, having a hull with a substantial LOA underneath this crew was valuable in these light conditions, and Chessie had a birds-eye view of the shifts ahead and the out-in-front position they needed to keep their air clean. Chessie leads its class after three races in PHRF-1. Melges 24 sailor Brian Porter (Lake Geneva, Wisc.) and David Clark (Meltham, U.K.) are tied in points for the Melges 24 lead - with 46 boats, the largest class in the fleet. Porter, defending champion from 1999, has come on strong in the last two races, taking a win today to mirror their first-place finish in yesterday's final race. But in this large class, Melges sailors have an equal-opportunity chance to excel or go up in flames. "The water was the same for everyone," said Melges sailor Tony Watson on Typhoon. "It was a matter of puffs and shifts." All classes have completed three races as they head into the third day of racing at Key West Race Week; a series of eight races is planned. Winds are expected to be light again on Wednesday, but this fleet may have a chance to test their heavy-air skills as this regatta winds to its conclusion. An approaching front is expected to reach down to this southernmost island by week's end. -- Cynthia Goss Complete results and feature reports: http://www.Premiere-Racing.com MTN CAPE TO RIO RACE The battle for handicap position in the IMS (international measurement system) class is heating up with Maxtec Wizard ousting Greenwich Warrior from her third position on handicap to obtain a slender five minutes lead over her closest opposition. Lynnath Beckley, navigator on Maxtec Wizard, reported that the current conditions are very unfamiliar - even though she has already done three Cape to Rio races. "We are hard on the wind beating towards the island! Yesterday we had huge cumulus clouds building up, darkening and pouring out great stalks of rain! Of course, this plays havoc with the wind and we experienced some massive wind shifts." A record crossing seems inevitable as the two American maxi's continue their good performances. Especially, the Californian-based Zephyrus IV, appears to have found her own breeze and managed to cover 275 miles during the past twenty-four hours. With only 527 miles left to the finish in Rio de Janeiro, Zephyrus is over 25 hours ahead of her handicap. In comparison with the performance of the 1996 record-breaker, Morning Glory, the American super yacht is more than 300 miles ahead and can possibly take a day of the crossing record. The light wind conditions have also hampered the progress of the rest of the fleet and the top yachts in the CRRS class averaging boat speeds of between 113 and 128 miles. Ted Kuttel on Spilhaus has maintained his top handicap position, with Awesome holding on to her second position despite reported mast problems. Silverstream is approximately six hours behind in third place on handicap and Anthony Steward with the development team on MTN The Better Connection in fourth position. -- Ronelda Visser Race website: http://www.capetorio.com COASTAL & INSHORE SAILING They're absolutely ideal for coastal and inshore sailing. And they look and feel great onshore too! Check out Gill's new Tradewinds Jacket and coordinating Trousers. As part of Gill's "O2" line of breathable foul weather garments they feature lifejacket/safety harness attachment tabs, a peaked hood that stows in the collar pocket, a fleece-lined collar, and internal and external cuffs. The Tradewinds Trousers have a high cut back, reinforced seat and knees and Velcro ankle adjustment tabs, wide braces, an inner pocket and elastic waistband. http://www.douglasgill.com A FRIENDLY COMPETITION AMONG NATIONS * Le Defi France want to try out their new Kiwi-made bow against a Kiwi America's Cup boat. The French ripped into their Cup yacht, Sixieme Sens, with chainsaws yesterday - cutting off its nose to replace it with a new bow. Once the boat is rebuilt next week, Le Defi want to test it out against another Cup boat, even if it is the defender, who have already extended an invitation. Said young French designer Juan Kouyoumdjian: "Our position is that we will sail with the challengers first. "But if they don't want to, I'm sure we would be very happy to sail with Team New Zealand. "The approach in our campaign is very much in line with the way New Zealand campaigns have been and are. We would love to sail against them. "A lot of people have shown their interest in our speed. A lot of them would like our speed downwind." Yesterday they sliced 4m off the front of the yacht. The old u-shaped bow will be replaced with a v-shape -- a carbon-fibre nose built in New Zealand with New Zealand materials. Kouyoumdjian said the new shape would allow the boat to cut through the waves of the Hauraki Gulf easier. "It should increase the performance in choppy conditions, which was our big problem. "We decided to do it a long time ago - it was designed in October. But with all the changes we made to the boat we never found the time for this one. "It's very nice that even though we are out of the Cup, our sponsors have allowed us to carry on and keep our thoughts going. "This has to be our starting point for next time. Changing the bow now has to be proof that we have the will to carry on." The French laugh that when they came to New Zealand in August they could only afford the smallest base in the Cup village. But today they have three bases - they use the vacated Spanish and Hawaiian lots to continue work on the boat. -- Suzanne McFadden, NZ Herald Complete story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ac2000/ * On the basis of his small knowledge of Team New Zealand and much greater knowledge of AmericaOne and Prada, Peter Gilmour said the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup final would be a match for the Kiwis. Gilmour reasoned that the challengers had been improved by tight racing throughout the Louis Vuitton Cup, while Team New Zealand, without a defender series, lacked the same impetus for improvement. "One thing that surprised me when we came into Round Robin 1 was that the boats have different styles and different techniques. I think this is going to be the single biggest surprise that Team New Zealand is going to have -- the different nature of the boats and how they perform, and it comes from not having a defender series," Gilmour said. Gilmour has twice raced AmericaOne's USA-61 in the semifinals and said Paul Cayard had a versatile boat, extremely fast in light winds. "I guess my critique of their boat is that they have several different sailing modes," he said. "They can obviously sail very high and very effectively, and then they can press their bow down and foot along pretty fast when they want to. "That's a very useful tool when you're match racing, to be able to sometimes be able to get under someone's bow and go high and work on them, make them tack off the shift and then press your bow down and go faster on the shift. "I think the other thing is that in the light conditions they do go exceptionally fast, as does Prada and faster than all the rest of the semifinalists below 11 knots or so." Cayard supported Gilmour's view that close racing has drawn the best from the challengers and that seamanship as much as boat speed might become decisive. "It's a sailor's racecourse out there," he said. "If you get the first shift and control the race, even if you're a tick slower, there's big enough shifts out there to make up for these speed differences." -- Steve McMorran, Quokka Sports Complete story: http://www.americascup.org/ WORLD CHAMPION When it comes to boat preparation, Star World Champion Eric Doyle leaves nothing to chance. And for his rigging, Doyle always works with the pros at Sailing Supply. "They are absolute magicians when it comes to innovative rigging solutions," Doyle told the curmudgeon. "And they keep a deep inventory of the most obscure hardware and rigging supplies -- just in case." The staff at Sailing Supply all race sailboats, so they truly understand. One call will show you why some of the world's best sailors call this number for their rigging: (800) 532-3831 / http://www.sailingsupply.com/ ETCHELLS WORLDS Today, 19 January 2000, the top three boats in the Etchells Worlds were Australian. Ian Walker, Nick Williams and Matt Wenke lead the fleet all day through bumpy conditions while prevailing at the finish over 64 starters, while four were OCS. Mark Richards, Mick Hole and Bruce Wookey sailed a great race and were second just ahead of Mr. Consistency, Cameron Miles with James Mayo and Andrew Palfrey who still lead the regatta with a third today. The winds were 11 - 16 knots from the ENE for the 12.4 NM five leg course. The seas were 2 - 4 feet with the winds very consistent the whole race with only 10 degree shifts. The last leg was set 10 degrees to port when the persistent wind went to starboard and passing lanes were then made unavailable. The top ten had some visitors from three other countries, but the Australians are ruling the waters. Tim Patton from Bermuda finished 4th, Ben Altman from United States 6th and Robert Howison from Great Britain 9th. Top finishers from other countries: New Zealand - David Schmidt 14th, Hong Kong - John Elsden 43rd. Top six after three of six races (including ties): AUS Cameron Miles (6), AUS Peter McNeill (17), AUS Michael Coxon (30), USA Gary Weisman (34), AUS Jan Scholten (34) and AUS Ian Walker (34). Heavier winds are expected for tomorrow's Race Four as a southerly buster may pass through. -- Mike Hein Regatta website: http://www.rpayc.com.au/etchells/ LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net) Letters selected to be printed are routinely edited for clarity, space (250 words max) or to exclude personal attacks. But only one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if people disagree. -- From Glenn McCarthy -- The RRS contain all sorts of flags and procedures (postpone, abandon/re-sail) for Race Officers to delay a multiple race, multiple day series. In today's busy world, should we give new tools to the Race Officers that speed up play? Being from Chicago, the home of Ernie Banks, who would look at the nice weather on the baseball field and say "Let's play two today," I think he is on to something. Many week long regattas I have been to have postponed/abandoned days where races were pushed back and the last few days were then sailed hard with multiple races on single days (in more trying conditions than the days that were skipped), finishing in the dark and fighting to get enough races completed in order to award the trophy to the champion (some championships have rules about a minimum number of races sailed). What if, there were flags and procedures available that the Race Officers could use on those idyllic days that speeds up play. Before the finish of Race 1, they hang the "speed up play" flag up before the finish of the first boat that indicates Race 2 will immediately follow? The downside of this I suppose, is that after 4 days of a 6 day series, you might have the series complete and have an awards dinner (on day 6) with quite a few less giving applause, but that is one of the consequences of today's busy world. I wonder what other Butthead's think about this? -- From Cy Gillette (Retired ISAF & USSA Umpire) -- Tom Ehman is right on the umpire on the boat not right for the AC. What you are really doing is adding one new person to the afterguard of the boat and what a mess this could bring to the protest room. -- From Don Becker -- It would seem that Torben Grael of the Prada team should go over the Racing Rules of Sailing and the Match Race Appendix. If he need to have an umpire on board so that he will know what is going through the umpire's minds, he needs some help. The umpires usually call out to each other the action of the individual boat each is following. Each umpire feeds the other the course, rights, responsibilities, obligations and possible actions of the boat they are watching. If Torben doesn't know what is in the umpire's mind he probably doesn't know what his rights and obligations are either! Perhaps that's why Prada failed to keep clear of a leeward boat against AmericaOne. I don't think it is the umpire's job to relay rule information to the tactician on the boat. This could be interpreted as outside assistance, and I agree with Tom Ehman, you don't try out a new system at the Superbowl or the America's Cup. -- From Allen Puckett (Re Mark Michaelsen's comments on value in the Cup campaigns - Scuttlebutt 483) -- I think Mark may have confused the term "value" with the term "cost". It may be true that some of the cup campaigns have had budgets in the ballpark of the cost of a major motion picture. That is "cost". The "value" is in what the public will pay to see the event. Unfortunately the public perception may be quite different in the two cases. If the Americas Cup Series is to stay alive, the value to the public must receive attention. -- From Helen Johnstone Falk -- In Peter Huston's comments in "butt #483" about "Prada losing the respect of their competitors" for negligence in "their accusations towards the Dennis Conner team" in regards to their sails: Prada has not lost any respect whatsoever. Prada is simply being shrewd, tactful and smart in "covering their "butts" (no pun intended)". They know how SOME of the Americans have been operating in their manipulative and calculating ways and are simply loading their artillery to send the message that they are prepared to take on any unethical and ludicrous politics that may be aimed at them. In my opinion (no offense to Cayard), Prada is going to win the finals and be the defender against New Zealand. All in all, "may the best team win". A lot of it, comes down to not only the fastest boat and talent, but "what goes around, comes around". -- From Matthew Sullivan (brutally edited to our 250-word limit)-- There is only one proper way for AmericaOne, America True, or any other competitor, for that matter, in the Louis Vuitton Cup to finish out any given round-robin series - the way it began, out on the water trying to win. This is especially true because of the round-robin format. For instance, why should one crew be penalized because it happened to face AmericaOne earlier in the schedule, when she was fighting for every point, versus another crew who, purely based on the vagaries of the schedule, draws AmericaOne late, when she has clinched a finals berth and can "protect her assets". The analogy to a boat which has clinched a fleet racing series and chooses not to sail the final race(s) is flawed. In that situation all the other competitors benefit equally. Consider the case where the leader, assured of victory, sails the final races, covering a competitor he doesn't like in order to push him down the standings, or to benefit a friend. Sounds a bit like what some are suggesting AmericaOne should have done. By the way, we may give some people too much credit for altruism. Why should an eliminated US syndicate want to help another US team? If another US boat wins the Cup, the eliminated team may only get the chance to defend for, say, San Francisco, as opposed to going to Italy with a chance to bring the Cup to their home waters. -- From Chuck Voeltner -- In reply to Max Rosenberg: The Cup is not about nationalism above all else. It is about winning first. If nationalism is so important, why did Team DC use a rudder manufactured in Australia rather than choose an American manufacturer as true nationalism would require? They did what they felt they had to in order to win and it cost them a possible spot in the semis. Don't blame America True for Team DC's failure to make the semis. Blame Team DC. I have been a fan of DC for a long time and was pulling for Team DC since the opening race of Round 1. But I certainly would not want them to be given a spot. It would be demeaning. If you truly believe America True had an obligation to help "give" the spot to Team DC rather than make them earn it, then perhaps you should (or did?) help the Aussie Olympic committee make their 49er selection. CHANGING TIMES (On the front page of Monday's Los Angeles Times was a sports story that caught the curmudgeon's attention. Although it has nothing to do with sailboat racing, I thought many of our readers would enjoy seeing what's happening in other 'sports.') In sports-obsessed America, the latest heroes don't run with the pigskin, swing for the fences or play above the rim. In fact, the most athletic move most ever make is unhitching the boat from the pickup. But the stars are millionaires. They have their own trading cards, cable television shows and lucrative endorsement contracts. One phenom--a former punch-press operator from Cannon, Ky.--is pictured on a Wheaties box. And, holy mackerel, can they catch fish. "Oh, son!" Roland Martin exclaimed recently as his casting rod arced toward a 4-pound largemouth bass roiling the surface of Lake Okeechobee as it tried to spit out the hook. The struggling fish dived for the weedy bottom, but Martin reared back and, after an exhilarating five minutes, hauled his quarry up to the side of the boat. "Nice fish! Good bass!" Martin exulted, grabbing the fish by the lower lip and lifting it dripping from the water. "I love it!" For bass-fishing superstars like Martin, there is a lot to love these days. "The money in this deal now is just unreal," says Martin, a nine-time Angler of the Year and a household name among aficionados who have watched his cable TV show over the last 25 years. Consider: * For winning two recent tournaments, an Oklahoma rancher named Darrell Robertson reeled in $850,000 in prize money. * In November, Fox Sports carried the finals of one of those tournaments live. * In the year ahead, B.A.S.S. (the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society) and its upstart rival, Operation Bass Inc., will stage about 20 national competitions with combined purses of more than $10 million. "Tournament fishing was a sleeping giant that's been awakened," said Irwin L. Jacobs, a onetime Wall Street raider who began promoting fishing contests through Operation Bass after selling his majority ownership of the Minnesota Vikings four years ago. "This is more than a sport; it's an American way of life." -- Mike Clary, LA Times There's much more to this story: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/20000118/t000005489.html REAL AMERICA'S CUP MEMORABILIA AmericasCupStore.com is always open, featuring official team wear like the AmericaOne logo cap and Team New Zealand's "Lucky Red Socks". Pick up your copy of the Official America's Cup Event Program-- 136 glorious pages of Cup history, profiles on all competing syndicates, specially commissioned portraits of team skippers, and page after page of magnificent competition photography. You can only see these at http://www.americascupstore.com TOP YOUTH SAILORS WANTED! The California International Sailing Association (CISA) is now accepting applications for the 2000 CISA Advanced Racing Clinic. The clinic will be held April 15-18 at the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club in Long Beach, California. Instructors include Morgan Larson, Kevin Hall, Nick Adamson, JJ Isler, Jaime Malm, Peter Alarie, Peter Wells and others. l. Long Beach in the spring provides perfect sailing conditions, 5-10 knots in the morning and a 15-25 knot sea breeze every afternoon. Sailors are put through the paces during four days of intense on the water sessions followed by evening debriefs and video review. The application deadline is February 1st. Sailors can apply online in 420's, Lasers, Radials, CFJ's or the 29er class at: http://www.cisasailing.org CISA is a nonprofit organization established in 1971 to assist and promote amateur sailing nationally, internationally and at the Olympic level -- Peter Wells OLYMPICS Four more nations have provisionally qualified for the 2000 Olympic Regatta in the Tornado Class - Argentina, Sweden, Portugal and Puerto Rico. For a complete updated list of all nations qualified: http://sailing.org/olympics/ THE CURMUDGEON'S COUNSEL Don't forget a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated. |
