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SCUTTLEBUTT 1903 -- August 16, 2005Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.GUEST EDITORIAL -- Roy E. Disney I have been sailing across the Pacific on the Transpac Yacht Race to Honolulu since 1975. In fact, I haven't missed a race since and have always been a huge supporter of the race itself, and especially of the wondrous welcoming aloha from everyone in Hawaii to each and every one of the competitors as they arrive at Diamond Head and the Ala Wai Boat Harbor, at whatever odd hour of the day or night they happened to come. And what a welcome it is! Mai tais, pupus, endless warm hospitality, a host family for every boat, and each boat lined up along "Transpac Row," as it is called, in order of finish. The socializing and the spirit of aloha are endless and inevitably lure us back for the next race and the next great experience. But what has happened to the Ala Wai? It seems to be vanishing before our very eyes. This year there was no Transpac Row. This year, with a record entry of 75 boats eager to participate in this great historic race, celebrating its 100th year, the Ala Wai has gone completely to seed. Some docks are condemned, other are falling apart; there is no room for all the sailboats, so they've wound up rafting bunches of them up to each other -- not the most pleasant way to end a 2,500 mile voyage. It's a sad state of affairs that the great state of Hawaii has let the single most important and prestigious marina in the northern Pacific Ocean come to this inglorious condition. What could be a great tourist draw, what could be a source of pride for all Hawaii, what could be another feather in its crown, what could bring meaningful tourist dollars to Honolulu and to Hawaii has been neglected to the point of tragedy. I write as one who knows the state more than a little. I came here to this paradise first in 1939 and always return out of love, sometimes as a tourist, but also as a businessman, as a owner of a local television outlet for many ears, and, of course, as a racer in the Transpac. It pains me greatly that the government has been so remiss in recognizing the importance of one of its major attractions -- the Ala Wai Boat Harbor. I am very much afraid that if it is left to deteriorate still further, Hawaii will be diminished, the world-renowned Transpac Race that King Kalakaua initiated will suffer and we will all be the poorer for it. Please, for all of us, visiting sailors, local sailors, and all the proud citizens of Hawaii: Fix the Ala Wai! -- Roy E. Disney PAUL CAYARD (The Daily Sail subscription website did an interview with Paul Cayard about his return to the Volvo Ocean Race. Here are two brief excerpts from that story.) The best piece of news in the build-up to November's Volvo Ocean Race was the announcement by Disney that the race is to be used as a promotional vehicle for the Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, Dead Man's Chest. It is a fairly safe prediction this single step will serve to turn what might otherwise have been 'just another round the world yacht race' into an event that leaps out of the sports pages and into general news and tabloids. However with the recent announcement of Paul Cayard as skipper of the Pirates boat, the Disney entry now has real winning potential. Cayard says his sailing crew comes from seven different countries and five ex-EF men are involved with the project. One is Kimo Worthington, a watch captain on EF, who is now 'operational manager' and has been overseeing the build of the new Pirates VO70 at Green Marine in Southampton. Justin Clougher is believed to be back on the bow. Magnus Olsson and Klabbe Nylof are likely to sail with Ericsson if they can prise themselves away from trimaran racing in the Baltic, while Mark Christensen is already signed with ABN AMRO. Meanwhile the others are all with America's Cup teams - Steve Erickson with Luna Rossa, and Lorenzo Mazza, Josh Belsky and Curtis Blewitt all with Alinghi. Freddie Loof, a fellow Star sailor and who also sailed with Cayard on board Amer Sports One, has also been mooted as a potential crew. According to Cayard, all will be revealed by the end of this month. -- The Daily Sail, www.thedailysail.com LEADING TACTICAL NAVIGATION SOFTWARE B&G's Deckman software includes all the tools you need for short course round the buoys racing or long distance offshore and ocean racing. It gives you the best start to races with its unique start screen with information you can trust. Deckman has the industry leading routing engine for optimum route analysis along with the capability to edit GRIB files when taking into consideration observed weather changes. You can carry out boat testing functions for immediate analysis and improvement and update polar files for pre-start, navigation and performance. For more information, free demo, or upgrade software please see http://www.BandG.com/deckman.htm TROUBLE IN PARADISE? Larry Ellison's mighty BMW Oracle Racing America's Cup team are facing one problem after another. Following the departure of the highly regarded tactician John Kostecki, and chief executive Chris Dickson reinstating himself as skipper, helmsman Gavin Brady has made the first public acknowledgement that all is not well with the team. "Everyone knows that there is a lot going on off the water," Brady said in Copenhagen, where he was runner-up to Jesper Bank in the Danish Open match race championship. Noel Drennan, Dirk de Ridder and Tony Kolb are leaving the America's Cup team to sail in this winter's Volvo Ocean Race. Other sailors and shore staff are considering their position. -- Tim Jeffery, The Telegraph, http://tinyurl.com/8aftk According to BMW Oracle Racing, sailing team members Noel Drennan (IRE) and Tony Kolb (GER) are now on a leave of absence from the team to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race. Drennan returns to his America's Cup duties in March and Kolb in June 2006. Both sailors are former Volvo Ocean Race winners. "Both Tony and Noel were passionate about doing this race and we fully support and encouraged them to take the opportunity," said BMW Oracle Racing CEO Chris Dickson. "They will both gain from this experience and in turn our team will benefit. The race falls during a time where they won't miss much America's Cup Class racing so it makes sense for them to be out there racing. They both remain an important part of BMW Oracle Racing." Dirk de Ridder (NED) has resigned from BMW Oracle Racing team to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race. He left the team July 31 following the end of the two-boat sailing session and will join a team that has not yet announced his participation. While deRidder has resigned, the door remains open if he wishes to return following the Volvo Ocean Race. AWESOME IN CONCEPT New Zealand 30-metre (98-feet) super maxi 'Alfa Romeo' has the potential to shatter race records around the world, predicts owner and skipper, Neville Crichton, having spent two weeks testing the new super maxi prior to the Hahn Premium Race Week at Hamilton Island (20-27 August 2005). Designed by the US firm of Reichel/Pugh and built of carbon fibre composite by McConaghy Boats in Sydney, Australia, 'Alfa Romeo' carries a towering 44 metre carbon fibre mast built by Southern Spars in New Zealand with the latest concept in 3DL and mylar sails designed by the Sydney loft of North Sails. Each company has contributed to a racing yacht that can only be described as awesome in concept and a quantum leap in the already advanced technology of modern yacht design, engineering and construction. McConaghy Boats, who have now built 10 maxi yachts in carbon fibre describe the building of 'Alfa Romeo' as the biggest and most complex project they have ever undertaken. Race performances are expected to be just as awesome with race record predictions no idle threat. "I would have liked to stay with a 90-footer but when the CYCA (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia) and the RORC (Royal Ocean Racing Club) set their maximum LOA at 30-metres for the Hobart and the Fastnet Races we had to go up to 30-metres to be competitive," Crichton explains. 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Check them out at http://www.camet.com - request catalog at mailto:camet@camet.com NEWS BRIEFS * There were lots of capsizes and torn spinnakers, but no serious gear breakage on the second official race day of the 470 North American Championship on San Francisco Bay. The Argentinean women's team Sesto/ Monsegur took three bullets and now lead with just five poings. The Alison Jolly/M. O'Bryan team (USA) is in second place among the women, with a series score of 13. Among the men, Buhler/Lamas (ARG) is in first with a score of 11, followed by Kazuto/Shouichi (JPN - 13 points). Anderson-Mitterling/Hughes (USA) are in fourth place with 18 points. -- http://www.470classnachampionship.org/results.htm * Last Wednesday, after about a year and a half of hard work, the second ABN Amro boat left its shipyard in Lelystad, the Netherlands. "She's 95 percent perfection," said Andy Lowe, the boat building foreman as he looked out over a boatyard floor that seemed empty without the impressive boat at its centre. "She'll be dangerous," said bowman Jan Dekker of crew One as he looked at the boat admiringly. "And fast." Boatbuilder Carlos Guimaraes concurred. "She's going to go off like a rocket!" he predicted. "Her styling is extreme, she is beautiful," he said proudly. -- www.volooceanrace.com * The 32nd America's Cup arrived in Malmö in earnest over the weekend when the M/V Schippersgracht pulled alongside the dock with its cargo of America's Cup boats and equipment. The ship docked on Saturday evening and unloading of the 2000 tonnes of equipment needed for the Malmö-Skåne Louis Vuitton Acts began on Sunday when the containers stacked on the 'weather' deck were removed. On Monday morning attention turned to the 13 America's Cup Class boats which were being lifted one by one directly into the water. www.americascup.com * The 225th entry slot for the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) was taken at the beginning of August and hopeful entries are now being placed onto a waiting list. The 20th ARC will start from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on November 20. For the first time, Beneteau has beaten rival manufacturers to be the predominant manufacturer, with a total of 26 Beneteau's entered, including 8 Beneteau 40.7's. Hallberg Rassy is second with 21 yachts entered and Jeanneau is third with 19. Twenty-one nations will e represented in the 2005 ARC fleet and 40 children are taking part. -- http://www.worldcruising.com/arc * Greg Thomas and Jacques Bernier of California have won the 2005 North American Formula 18 Championship and earning the right to representative the US Multihull team at the 2006 ISAF World Sailing Games. Olli and Kelli Jason of Pennsylvania placed second in the event making them eligible to fill the other entry as determined by the organizing committee. Fourteen races were held over five days in condition ranging from light air to 18 knots, gusting to 25, as squall lines wreaked havoc on the fleet of 38 boats early in the week. -- www.F18NAOnline.com * Five young sailors from TeamX/ USA traveled to Pwllheli, North Wales last week to compete in the British Optimist Dinghy Nationals with over 300 sailors aged 9 - 15 from throughout the UK and other EU countries. In weather that was unusually mild for Wales, the race organizers were able to hold 12 races during the 6 day regatta. Ian Hollerbach from Detroit, MI finished 3rd overall and was the top overseas competitor. Morgan Kiss, from Macatawa Bay, MI was 10th overall. In the Junior division, 10 year old Mitchell Kiss finished 7th and was 3rd overseas competitor. -- http://www.optimistsailing.org.uk/new/home.htm * The standard Laser has become the tool kit for the Laser 4.7 class, wherein lightweight sailors (75-120lbs) need only a new lower mast section and sail to convert a Laser or Radial into a 4.7. The latest Scuttlebutt photo gallery provides a glimpse of the class from their recently completed World Championship: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/4-7worlds * Fourteen of the country's best team race teams competed United States Team Race Association (USTRA) Open at Larchmont. Despite challenging weather conditions, the committee ran 97 races with the host team Larchmont winning the event with a 14-2 record. Sailing for Team Larchmont was Sean and Susan Doyle, Danny Pletsch and Allie Sharp and John and Molly Baxter. Second was Silver Panda who will be one of two US teams represented at the Grey Goose Team Race World Championships in September. Route 3 Split and Larchmont Monkeyshine rounded out the top four. For complete results: www.larchmontyc.org * In a technical first for the Swedish Match Tour the final two days of the St. Moritz Match Race are planned to be featured live on the Tour's broadband Internet channel. Fans will be able to watch the likes of Ben Ainslie (GBR), Ed Baird (USA), Peter Gilmour (AUS) and Peter Holmberg (ISV) in a real-time broadcast from Lake St. Moritz. The event begins Wednesday, Aug. 17, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 21. The live broadcasts are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 20-21. Replays of the day's show are expected shortly after the conclusion of racing. -- www.SwedishMatchTour.tv * One hundred and sixty-seven entries lined up for the Club 420 North Americans last weekend, hosted by Beverly Yacht Club in Marian, MA. Dominating the event was Tyler Sinks/ Ben Totder of San Diego, CA with scores of 9 firsts and 1 second, winning by nineteen points over Steven Barbano/ Dan Liberty of Barnegat Bay, NJ. Complete results: http://www.club420.org/Results/05na.htm * Thanks to event photographer Glennon Stratton, the memories of the Naples Sabot Nationals can now live on with a new photo gallery on the Scuttlebutt website. Don't miss winner Chris Barnard's doing his best interpretation of Olympic gold medalist Kevin Burnham's victory dive: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/sabotnatls HARBOR 20 FOR SALE Built in 2000, hull #71 is dark blue, in perfect condition, and now for sale. All extras included such as seat hatches, 2 new batteries, cockpit table, dodger, new sail covers, electric motor, 2 sets of sails (one set new). Located in Long Beach, CA. $22,000.00 obo. Contact Doug: 818-606-0555. 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. This is neither 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. And please save your bashing, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere.) * From John Harwood-Bee: Bruce Thompson correctly argues for reason in the MOB debate. (Scutt 1902) Having sailed with many ladies through the years I have yet to hear one female sailor complain that 'Man Overboard' offends her. If the objection came from a female non sailor then could somebody please tell her to keep her nose out of what does not concern her. But at least she was objecting to a specific male biased title i.e.Man Overboard. (two words). Unlike the idiots who object to Chairman ... ( no Chair Man...) and Manhole … (not Man Hole ) amongst others. What next ... perhaps they should object to woman ... I can just imagine having to refer to one as a wo person ... woe person might just be a better description. So let's have less of this nonsense and a return to common sense. As for MOB.. it wasn't broken so why have to fix it.And any lady in the water is unlikely to be concerned if it means that rescue is imminent rather than delayed whilst some politically correct moron argues over terminology. Perhaps we sailors can form a large enough group to combat this rubbish. Where do I sign up? * From D'Arcy Carr: My Mother, my sister, and I have done countless "Man" overboard drills. We've never considered that the phrase "Man Overboard" is sexist, it just always seemed obvious that it would be one of the men going over the side. Thank you for pointing this inequity out, must write local congressional representative (not congressman) for legislation to change MOB to COB. * From John Rousmaniere (edited to oour 250-word limit): To add to the discussion of rescue of someone in the water, Scuttlebutt readers should be aware that over four days last week on San Francisco Bay, some 80 people in 15 boats performed more than 400 rescue exercises to see which gear and maneuvers work best, often with wetsuited 'victims' in the water. Co-sponsored by West Marine and Modern Sailing Academy of Sausalito, the event was organized by a small group of sailors, of which I am proud to say I was one. Decisive conclusions will have to wait until the organizers and our advisory committee of statisticians has analyzed the hundreds of GPS tracks of maneuvers and the data sheets filled out by on-board observers. But our daily debriefings and my observations from the helm of the photo boat lead to a few thoughts, among them: In even small chop, a swim platform may be a better sledge hammer than a rescue aide. Multihulls are tricky to maneuver, but a practiced crew can make quick, one-pass rescues (heaving-to is a viable tactic). Standard rescue methods taught in sailing schools and manuals may not be viable on the typical modern charter boat, with its roller-furling sails and small winches, so crews should be prepared to improvise rescues from gear at hand (for example, using the elevator method employing a docking line). Much more will be reported about the 2005 Crewoverboard Retrieval Symposium in the magazines this fall. A detailed report and a video will be released in due course. * From Geoff Newbury (re interview with Carl Eichenlaub and Dirk Knuelman): Being the shipwright for Canadian international teams seems to be hereditary. Carl was referring to Dirk Knuelman Junior who has been the shipwright for Canada at a number of events, including Sydney 2000. Scot is referring to Dirk Knuelman Senior. Dirk Junior would have been 13 in 1968. Between them I suspect that Senior and Junior have covered most of the major international events as shipwright since about then! * From Peter Wilson: The sad news of John Merrifield's passing away takes causes me to reflect on the early 80's when I was a boatbuilder at Newport Offshore. John was certainly a tough taskmaster and in many cases, we did not see eye-to-eye. That being said, he always took the time to listen to differing opinions (no matter how forcefully presented!) and always looked for a better and more innovative way to achieve the goal, that of building lighter, stronger and more performing raceboats. I respected John immensely and would never trade the experience of having worked with him. * From Don Ferguson: I read Brad Read's editorial "Tack or Cross" and it reminded me of when I first joined the J24 Class. I couldn't for the life of me understand what these port tack boats were saying. If they are a "give way" boat, and prefer to stay on port tack, why should they expect the starboard tack boat to duck them rather than the other way around? Brad talk about cooperation, "staying on the lifted tack", etc. but it's really about intimidation with the threat of the "lee bow" to back it up. If he's so keen on sailing in the opposite direction, it's because he knows something you don't. Like Lance Armstrong, the best sailors know how to out-psyche their opponents and this is just one the tools. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION I am opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the position. -- Mark Twain |
