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SCUTTLEBUTT 2015 - January 24, 2006
Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions,
features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.
BIGGEST IN A DECADE
Miami, Fla. (January 23, 2006) - For the 610 sailors at US Sailing's Rolex
Miami OCR, the weather on this opening day couldn't have been more perfect
nor the competition more high-caliber. The morning's brisk breeze slowly
lessened through the day and combined with sunny, cloudless skies to form
near-perfect conditions on Biscayne Bay, where competition is taking place
on seven circles and in ten Olympic classes and one Paralympic class.
Representing 40 countries, a total of 406 boats are sailing, while among
the ranks are no less than seven reigning world champions. In its 16-year
history, the event has been bigger only twice, and that was in the year of
and prior to the "home-court" 1996 Olympic Games in Savannah, Georgia.
"With only two years to go before the Olympic Games in Beijing, sailors
have flocked to this event to see how they stack up against the best
Olympic and Paralympic talent the world has to offer," said Dean Brenner
(Wallingford, Conn.), chairman of US SAILING's Olympic Sailing Committee,
which organizes the event.
That was certainly the case with today's Finn class leader Rafael Trujillo
(Santander, Spain), who won a silver medal in Athens. "In our class, there
are eight people here in the top 20 on the ISAF World Ranking list, so it
is a good regatta," Trujillo said. "In the first two races, I was going
good upwind, but the second race I was fighting really close with the UK
sailor (Edward Wright). I need to work more on my downwind sailing--that is
the definition of the day." Trujillo posted a 1-1-5 for a spot at the top
of the scoreboard, with defending champion Christopher Cook (Toronto,
Canada) taking the next spot with a 3-2-3.
In the Tornado class, defending champions and 2004 Olympic silver medalists
John Lovell (New Orleans, La.) and Charlie Ogletree (Kemah, Texas) "put the
whole package together," winning both of today's races. "We were going
fast, sailing well," said Lovell matter-of-factly. He added that the
current world champions, Spain's Fernando Echávarri and Antón Paz (both
from Galicia), were right behind them the whole time. With finish positions
of 2-4, the Spanish team sits four points behind the U.S., in second place
overall.
The Yngling world champions from the USA--Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.),
Carrie Howe (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) and Deborah Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) --
turned in a not-so-surprising performance today, winning all three of their
races. Also posting perfect scores in two races today was reigning Laser
Radial world champion Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.).
The Australian Star team of Iain Murray (Clareville) and Andrew Palfrey
(Avalon) topped that highly competitive fleet, edging out by only one point
the current world champions from France, Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau
(Martigues/La Rochelle).With 70 boats, the Star class is hosting the most
sailors (140) in this regatta.
American sailors Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Ezra Culver (Miami, Fla.) and
Mike Ross (Encinitas, Calif.) came out strong to lead the Sonar class, one
of three Paralympic classes that will be sailed in the 2008 Paralympic
class. The team is closely followed by a fellow American team skippered by
David Schroeder (Miami, Fla.). British sailors also had a big opening day.
Nick Dempsey (Weymouth) and Bryony Shaw (Weymouth) lead in the Neil Pryde
RS:X Men's and Women's classes, respectively, while the team of Chris
Draper and Simon Hiscocks (both Portland) lead in the 49er class and Paul
Goodison (Rotherham) leads in Lasers. -- Media Pro Int'l, complete results
and much more: www.ussailing.org/Olympics/RolexMiamiOCR
WHAT MAKES OCKAM DATA BETTER?
Almost 30 years perfecting a scientific approach to solving the issue of
instrument accuracy. Ockam is the leader in providing the most accurate
real-time data available. The Pentium based Tryad processor combined with
an available 3-axis rate stabilized compass paves the way in delivering a
stable wind solution that takes the motion of the boat through the water
into account. With performance and weight savings a priority, all sensors
interface close to their location, allowing the information to stream
unimpeded through a high-speed single cable network, eliminating heavy
multiple cable runs and expensive junction boxes. Contact Ockam:
mailto:lat@ockam.com
SHORE TEAMS TAKE OVER
Was it the energy sapping deflation borne from the relief at having finally
nursed their sick boat to shore, or were there other reasons for the somber
mood aboard the Pirate ship? Arriving fourth was no disgrace given how
close the team came to not finishing at all. The Pirates had faced some
frightening moments and some prolonged stressful periods, but the crew were
safe and the boat was in Melbourne. In this respect at least, they had
fared better than two of the other teams and at least now they had some
points on the board. But there was no mistaking the long faces and the
quiet arrival.
When it came to the media scrum for first comments, there was a tangible
reluctance on the part of the press to get the ball rolling, yet Cayard,
well known for his media awareness, delivered a professional response.
Aside from the comments about the boats being fantastic to sail, wickedly
quick and amazingly light and neutral on the helm at speed, there were some
clues perhaps as to why the Pirates were finding life so tough aboard the
Black Pearl. Understanding the beast seemed to be one of the big issues. -
Yachting World website, full story:
http://www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20060023154417ywvolvo06.html
"Now that we are ashore, our first order of business is to diagnose the
damage to our keel structure and assess the repairs that need to be made,"
Paul Cayard said. "We don't know the full extent of the damage and we won't
know until we've made a full inspection of the keel. But we know we will
get to the bottom of it and make it stronger for the next leg. We know we
have to make a change to the ram materials similar to Ericsson and
movistar. We have just 12 days to prepare the boat for the in-port race on
February 4th. This event is like a relay race. Different departments of the
team run different legs of the race. Each part of the team can't start
until the one before it finishes." Cayard, concluded.
Australian skipper, Grant Wharington had good news to announce the moment
he stepped ashore after 21 days, 10 hours, 42 minutes and 44 seconds at sea
on leg of the Volvo ocean race. His home town team will continue to compete
in the event under the mantle of Dutch company Brunel. "I am delighted to
be able to announce that we are continuing on with the race. Brunel has
come to the party and I am very excited about that news, Australian
skipper, Grant Wharington said.
"I am not sure of all the details at this stage as we have a meeting this
afternoon to agree the final plans and logistics. It has been pretty tough.
We have gone from week to week not knowing if I can pay the guys and what
our next steps were. The negotiations have gone fantastically well with
Brunel. We can happily say that we will certainly be at the end of the
race. There will be a few changes to the crew which will be announced
tomorrow and the boat will see some new branding and we will be able to get
some new sails. But all in all we are feeling strong and we are in good shape."
Marcel van Trieste, navigator onboard the dismasted Brasil 1 (Torben Grael)
sent the following report, "We have made contact with the fishing vessel
and did the first fuel transfer. The fishing vessel will escort us until
further notice as we consider that towing is too dangerous for a marginal
speed increase. We will do further fuel transfers tonight and tomorrow
morning. After that we should be autonomous until Fremantle. Heading due
east today to stay out of the influence of T.S. Daryl for as long as
possible. Fresh swordfish for breakfast today!"
Volvo Ocean Race Leg 2 Results:
1. Team ABN Amro One, Mike Sanderson, finished: 18d 22h 08m 40s
2. Team ABN Amro Two, Sebastien Josse, 19d 02h 20m 23s
3. Movistar, Bouwe Bekking, 19d 14h 50m 57s
4. Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard, 21d 01h 24m 40s
5. ING Real Estate Brunel, Grant Wharington, 21d 10h 42m 44s
6. Brasil 1, Torben Grael, retired
7. Ericsson Racing Team Neal McDonald, retired
Event website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/
SOUTHERN SPARS STANDS TALL AT KEY WEST
Southern Spars was out in force at Key West 06, featured throughout the
Mumm 30, Melges 24, Melges 32, Corsair 28, and Corsair 31 fleets. Latest
technology Element C6 Plus continuous carbon rigging was also sported by
the Farr 60s Numbers and Hissar, and the JV66 Bella Mente. Dan Meyers,
owner of Numbers, says Element C6 is stronger, lighter, and cuts windage,
"After we put in C6 our sistership couldn't go upwind with us, so they
matched us…and the game is back on." Southern Spars has facilities in Rhode
Island, France, Cape Town and Auckland. www.southernspars.com
A YEAR'S HEAD START
Extensive live television coverage of the three 2006 Valencia Louis Vuitton
Acts will be made available to rights-holding broadcasters of the 32nd
America's Cup. This brings forward the plans for enhanced live television
by one year. "With multiple cameras in the air, on the race boats and on
the race course, this is a chance to deliver exciting America's Cup action
live," said Paco Latorre, the Director of Communications for the event
organizing body. "It also gives our host broadcaster the opportunity to
further develop its product and experiment with new technologies ahead of
the Louis Vuitton Cup and America's Cup Match itself in 2007."
The 2006 racing season opens in Valencia with a match racing regatta -
Louis Vuitton Act 10 - from the 11th to 18th of May. Act 11, a fleet racing
regatta, follows immediately from the 19th to 21st of May. Racing concludes
with the Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 12, a match racing series featuring a
round robin, semi final and final, from the 22nd of June to the 3rd of
July. -- www.americascup.com
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
* Scuttlebutt Forums is seeking memorable moments from last week's Acura
Key West Race Week. The best submission wins a six-pack of event goodies:
http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1847#1847
* The Key West event may be the most photographed regatta in the US. If you
were photographing the event and now have images online, we encourage you
to post your link in a thread that is now active in the forums:
http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1835#1835
NEWS BRIEFS
* Perth, Australia -- England's Helena Lucas extended her tenancy on the
top of the leaderboard in the 2.4 Metre class Alcoa IFDS World Disabled
Sailing Championships. She said the conditions were so difficult it made
her head hurt, "it was tricky, specially the second one, it was really
shifty, my head hurts now. Standings after 7 races with 1 discard - Sonars:
1. John Robertson /Stodel/ Thomas (GBR) 17pts; 2. Jens Kroker/ Schoenberg/
Schuetz (GER) 17.5pts; 3. Jamie Dunross/ Harrison/ Martin (AUS) 21pts. 2.4
Metres: 1. Helena Lucas (GBR) 11pts; 2. Bjornar Erikstad (NOR) 15pts; 3.
Heiko Kroeger (GER) 20pts. -- www.2006ifdsworlds.com.au
* A measure of the tight competition in the 60-boat Audi Etchells
Australian Championships was reflected in the fact that each of the six
races had a different winner but it was former 18ft skiff world champion,
Rob Brown, at the helm of Steam Packet VI, with crew members Bruce Wookey
and Garry Gudmunsen who led from John Bertrand, Ian Johnson and Tim Ede
(Triad) after race six to take the title. Final results (six races, one
discard): 1. Steam Packet VI, Robert Brown, 26pts; 2. Triad, John Bertrand,
32pts; 3. Free Advice, Cameron Miles, 35pts. --
http://www.rbyc.yachting.org.au/?Page=20563
* From the latest Scuttlebutt poll, we learned that the 'buttheads have
little sympathy for the boats that are breaking in the Volvo Ocean Race.
Sort of like, "you made your bed so now you have to sleep in it." Click
here for the final tally: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/06/0119
* The five-day Auckland Match Cup Race is due to begin tomorrow with
skipper Ed Baird from Alinghi and Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker
among the sailors to take part in the grade one annual event. Race
organizer, Dave Stewart says the crews were due to get out on the water
today for a pre-race sail. However, he says he is doubtful there will be
any racing today due to the stormy weather and winds which could get up to
a maximum of 55 knots. --
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=88347
"MAN OVERBOARD!"
The best just became more affordable. SeaMarshall announces a new,
permanently mounted, direction-finding receiver, the SarFinder 1003. At
about half the price of similar man-overboard homing receivers, the
SarFinder is the perfect match for your SeaMarshall water-activated
man-overboard beacons. (Works with other brands, too!) For information:
Chip Barber, mailto:admin@chabrber.com; http://www.chbarber.com
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 Ingrid Bon: I've never commented on anything but your story on Jeff
Milligan exclusion from the IFDS World Disabled Sailing Championships bent
me out of shape. IFDS President Serge Jorgensen's reply bent me out of
shape even more. I've been a sailor for less than a year. Besides the
thrill of pitting a little boat against wind and water (and my fellow
sailors) what captivates me about the sport is its inclusiveness with
regards to physical ability.
I've sailed with friends that cannot walk or see. I've never heard my
friends give me a run down of what they cannot do, yet I've heard them say
"I'm the skipper." For IFDS to exclude Jeff Milligan from the sport on the
basis of a new ranking rule is taking the sport back to the times when it
didn't dawn on anyone's mind that people with disabilities could sail. IFDS
is not advancing the sport with this decision. Rather than putting so much
energy in trying to find ways to exclude a sailor from the sport, why not
spend that energy in getting more disabled sailors interested in
competitive sailing?
* From Cliff Bradford: Perhaps if the Melges 32s are overpowered in 25
knots of breeze then the sail manufacturers should put in a useable reef
point on the main. I'm sure Mumm 30 and Henderson 30 (Melges 32
competitors) sailors wouldn't bat an eyelid to go out in those conditions.
It's what sport boat sailing's all about i.e. you struggle upwind in big
breeze but run downhill like a bat out of hell. By the way, I noticed that
you didn't have a single picture of a Corsair 28 on the picture page...
could it be a conspiracy.
Curmudgeon's Comment: While the Melges 32 class rule does require a reef
point in their main, they have not proven to be needed in class racing, but
might be handy in a big blow during a handicap event. The class wind rule
is not so much because the boats can't handle the conditions, but rather to
insure that racing is held in conditions that minimize the abuse that any
boat/ gear/ sails/crew experience during big breeze. As for the Corsairs
missing from the gallery, they are not alone as none of the classes from
the Division 4 course were covered in our gallery. That course is the
furthest away, so perhaps our contributing photographers were being fuel
conscious.
* From Araminta Smith: As someone who has done trans-ocean racing, I am
over the incessant negativity that of some people regarding the VOR. The
attraction of the VOR for me is not that of highly tactical short course,
big fleet sailing but of adrenalin, speed, excitement and sailing on the
edge. This is the top level research and development, cutting edge Race of
our sport. It is equivalent to climbing Everest, tow-in surfing on 50+foot
wave, freestyle snowboarding, Formula one (probably least relevant example
due to the controlled environment, cross country car rallies have a
higher pertinence).
Life is so regulated and the Volvo organizers have done more than nearly
all other organisers to ensure safety and create an amazing race with a
rule that pushes the crews and designers to a new level. They have created
the platform, it is then up to the designers to design something that
survives and the sailors to race within the limitations. This is the
challenge and always was, when the VO60 was first created this was not
without problems, half the fleet arrived in Fremantle with de-lamination
and many rudders where broken, the multihulls in the TJV this year did not
cause such a stir. The attraction to the crews and why the same people come
back and you only have to watch the fabulous TV show to see the excitement
for them, and uncertainty everything Grant Dalton has previously said.
Magnus Weatley, they do it for the adrenalin and challenge.
* From Freddie Lapin: I've a question. What do people think it achieves by
openly, publicly using negative talk in the context of sponsorship and
major elite Yacht Racing events? Surely most people reading yachting press
are sailors. So what exactly do people think they are doing to our sport by
always seeing the bad and being negative referring to Ed Gorman using the
words Disney and flop in the same sentence, and the recent comments by
Victoria Scott regarding Brasil 1, the VOR is current, when it is America's
Cup time that will suffer too.
We're involved in an expensive sport how do we think our sport will
survive if we continue to use derogatory words belittling our sponsors and
these magnificent and exciting events? I mean why on earth would a sponsor
want to be involved in this sport when those in it are negative,
downtrodden and backstabbing - why not go sponsor horse-riding or golf?
When will you people wake up - we have a wonderful sport. Why not look on
the bright side, there are amazing opportunities to see or even participate
in these events Deep down many people would really like a sail on a VO70,
and maybe that is the problem there are only 7 of them, so maybe it is a
jealousy issue! And you know what life has choices if the sailors are
scared then don't do it, it is not compulsory. But deflate the guys that
support our great events, instead see the greatness!
* From Rich Jepsen: The annual US Sailing National Sailing Programs
Symposium for 2006 wrapped up Sunday in Long Beach, California. It is the
only event of its kind in the US, bringing sail trainers of every stripe,
volunteer and professional, not for profit and commercial, tallship to
Opti, for professional development, inspiration and 'passion battery'
recharge. We listened to great speakers who generously gave of his time as
a keynote speaker, giving the instructor trainers, instructors and program
directors at the event lots of laughs and a real thrill.
We saw the USC sailing team perform a great team racing demo out at the US
Sailing Center, Long Beach, watched Nevin Sayre teach three kids to
windsurf in under an hour and test sailed over a dozen training boat
candidates loaned to us by boat builders. By way of full disclosure, I am
biased, as a volunteer for US Sailing. However, I do run a sailing school.
I have attended for the last five years and learn so much every time I go.
It is a bargain for the time and money I invest and I am already making
plans for the next one, January 2007 in New Orleans!
CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted and
used against you.
Special thanks to Ockam Instruments, Southern Spars, and C.H. Barber Inc
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