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SCUTTLEBUTT #515 - February 26, 2000
SPECIAL WEEKEND 'BUTT!
AMERICA'S CUP: KIWIS GO UP 3-0
After a frustrating delay on Thursday due to light winds, Race Three of the
Americas Cup Match between Team New Zealand and Pradas Luna Rossa started on
time at 13:15 on Saturday. Over 1500 spectator boats surrounded the race
course on the Hauraki Gulf and watched Team New Zealand solidify its Match
lead. Racing started in a Southerly breeze of 10-13 knots, and the windspeed
varied from 7-16 knots throughout the afternoon. -- America's Cup 2000
Louis Vuitton Cup Media Centre
KIWIS ARE TURNING AMERICA'S CUP FINALS INTO A BLOWOUT
Taking another giant step toward a conclusion that seems more inevitable
with each passing contest, Team New Zealand recorded its third straight
victory over Italy's Prada Challenge today to secure a commanding 3-0 lead
in the 30th competition for the America's Cup.
The defenders' winning margin was 1 minute 39 seconds. The fourth race in
the five-of-nine-race finals is scheduled for Sunday. If Prada is unable to
notch its first victory of the series, it will have been one lost weekend
for the Milan-based challengers.
Despite their dominating position -- Prada needs to win five of seven races
to capture the cup -- the New Zealanders are maintaining a low-key attitude.
"I guess we're all confident in the way we can sail the boat and in our
match-racing skills," was all Jones would say. Once again, the Kiwis let
their actions on the water do the real talking. -- Herb McCormick, NY
Times. Full story at http://www.nytimes.org
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Francesco de Angelis, Skipper of Luna Rossa, on Team New Zealands
performance: "I think they are making almost no mistakes and in a race like
today for instance, there were no passing lanes. It is hard to pass them
once they are ahead."
Francesco de Angelis, on boat speed comparisons with Team New Zealand: "Im
happy with our boat speed. For sure, they are not slower than us!"
Torben Grael, Tactician of Luna Rossa, on Team New Zealand: "Well first of
all we have sailed against them much less than we have sailed against all
the other competitors we had in the Louis Vuitton Cup. At the beginning of
the Louis Vuitton Cup, everybody was more conservative and trying to assess
their boat speed and everything, and then it got more aggressive at the end.
We have been having problems on the start in the America's Cup but I think
that can go either way. They have a more experienced crew on the starts and
thats an advantage that they have. There's nothing we can do about it but it
doesn't mean they cannot make mistakes. We are going to keep trying to do
good starts and I think with good starts we can also have a different
attitude on the first leg instead of always being in the defensive
position."
MUST SEE
If you're not seeing enough action photos of the IACC boats racing in the
Hauraki Gulf it's obvious you have not been visiting the Quokka website
often enough. Their photographers have totally captured the action -- and
the carnage -- with a plethora of super photos. Great stuff. And when you
add in the thoughtful commentary, the daily audio recordings and
unparalleled news coverage, this is one website you MUST visit every day.
http://www.americascup.org/
VIRTUAL SPECTATOR NOW BEING VIEWED IN 102 COUNTRIES
When Team New Zealand defeated Italy's Prada Challenge on the America's Cup
race course today, sailing fans in 102 countries were following the action
live with Virtual Spectator.
At the outset of the best five-of-nine America's Cup Match, 78,000 people
logged on to view Virtual Spectator on the first day of racing, February 19.
That same day, 500 Italians downloaded the software in just one hour. The
United States, New Zealand and Italy have the most subscribers.
The America's Cup version of Virtual Spectator is available at
www.virtualspectator.com or through Quokka Sports' official America's Cup
web site at www.americascup.org. The America's Cup software can be purchased
over the Internet for US$ 9.95. Early subscribers to Virtual Spectator who
purchased the software on CD-ROM at US$69.95 can download an upgrade for the
Match from the Virtual Spectator web site at no additional cost.
BIGGER, BETTER, BRIGHTER
Who do you call when you want custom sail graphics to make a statement??
Easy. See who the leaders in racing like Sagamore, Sayonara, Samba Pa Ti,
Playstation and Stars&Stripes have in common. They entrusted their sail
graphics to North Graphics. And better yet, they can do the same for you on
your Catalina 27, 1D35 or J/105. Try calling Whitney Gladstone and find out
how affordable it is to put custom sail graphics on your boat:. (619)
224-8667, http://www.northsails.com/graphics/
KENWOOD CUP: AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCES TEAM, J105 MAKES ITS DEBUT
The Australia Yachting Federation has announced the Australia Team selected
to compete for the Kenwood Cup in 2000. The Australia Team will be led by
Geoff Ross' Farr 49 YENDYS, based on their winning performance in the 1999
Sydney to Hobart Race, along with several other top placings throughout the
Telstra Cup. The two Beneteau First 40.7s named FRUIT MACHINE and SMILE will
join YENDYS.
For the first time a fleet of J-105s will be entered in the Kenwood Cup.
Jaren Leet with his J-105 IRRATIONAL AGAIN is leading this contingent. Jaren
was a participant in the Hawaii event in the early 80s. He will be joined by
Sam Hock's JOSE CUERVO, Tom Thayer & Dick Watts JUXTAPOSE and Art
MacMillan's BELLY DANCER that will be shipped to Hawaii for the event. Four
other J-105 will be racing to Hawaii in the West Marine Pacific Cup. They
include Tony Soter's OENO, Tom Kassberg's WALLOPIN' SWEDE, Mike Eagen's
SABERTOOTH and Steve Nurse's SOLDINI. They will be joined by Mike Kelly's
PUFF a local Hawaiian J-105.
Kenwood Cup 2000 begins July 31 and ends August 9, 2000. The Race Director
is Ken Morrison, contact him at 808 946 9061, fax 808 946 9179,
kenmorrison@rhorc.org Event site http://www.kenwoodcup.com
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (scuttlebutt@boats.com -- note temporary address
for guest editor)
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 J. Theodore Everingham, on ESPN coverage of the America's Cup:
Steve Orosz' observation about Jim Kelley's frequent use of "wire to wire"
inspires me to note his perhaps more frequent use of "if you will". We also
were amused at his references to the "vacillating" wind and the wind
"filtering" in. Just tack on the vacillations, if you will, as soon as the
breeze filters in.
-- From Laszlo Toth, on America's Cup 2003:
With the Kiwis about to slam dunk the America's Cup, a look ahead at what's
in store for 2003 should elicit some letters from scuttlebutt readers.
Rumour has it that the Kiwis have said that if they win, they are not going
to pay the $2M the ISAF has said it wants in Category C fees for the event.
And.. they are not going to have ISAF pick the judges and umpires and not
going to use the Racing Rules of Sailing exclusively. One can only imagine
the ISAF's reaction: perhaps the oft threatened but never exercised
'disqualification' of the event for officials and sailors, barring them from
competition in ISAF sanctioned events?
-- From Ed Broberg, on Keels:
Have you ever noticed how people talk about the keels so much, even if they
are not sailors. Ever since we lost the Americas Cup, you still hear people
talking about the "winged keel" and now the placement of "winglets". Bruce
Parsons and Jim Teeters have some interesting thoughts that they shared in
the past few scuttlebutts. I ran across something that readers will enjoy
at http:www.aerohydro.com/users/designer.htm.
-- From George Bauer
Does anyone anywhere have a theory as to how a piece of plastic tarp with a
long line attached found Luna Rossa on the race course and wrapped itself
around the keel, all by itself? I remember years ago in the SORC we tied a
bucket to Ondine's keel but Huey discovered it before leaving the dock. I'm
not suggesting anything, but ... Another thing, if any Buttheads have small
kids in the house don't let them watch the AC on TV. You don't want them
growing up thinking sailboats look like that!
BUDGET TIME
Right now, lots of yacht clubs are preparing their budgets for next year.
And some clubs are actually including funds for anticipated losses in
connection with regatta apparel at their major events. Shame on them. There
is no reason any yacht club should lose money on regatta apparel -- not when
Pacific Embroidery has a program to supply it to race organizers at a
guaranteed profit. There is absolutely no risk to the race organizer. Call
Frank Whitton (619-226-8033) for details on how to offset regatta costs
while supplying high quality, affordable apparel for the racers.
(pacyacht@aol.com)
SAN DIEGO - PUERTO VALLARTA RACE
(The Curmudgeon is aboard Stark Raving Mad while the guest editor slaves
away. This is the report from the boat's own website www.jflash.net/pv2000)
Wow! Finish Line! We made it. What a finish to a great race. It was
definitely the slowest last one mile that ever occurred in a thousand mile
race. How quickly you go from pandemonium to pure all-out stress of having
no wind and being within one mile of the finish, knowing that you have only
39 minutes to cross the finish line. We had a great evening approaching.
Bahia and de banderas and about 3 hours out, the wind slowed down finally
stopping as we rounded a moor offset by one mile to the finish line. We
were neck in neck with Ingrid and traded places with Cantada at least 3
times in the last 4 miles of the race. We literally drifted across the
finish line, narrowly edging out Cantata and Ingrid boat for boat. About 7
hours from the finish, we put the full court press on (as Keith referred to
it) and our spirits soared as the wind held.
Tom Leweck called in our 2 hour estimate to the race committee only to have
it take 5 hours instead to travel the last several miles. After we crossed
the finish line (drifting,) we dropped the sails (that were totally useless)
and all dove in and took a quick swim, followed by several bottles of
champagne and the last of the great wine in route to Paradise Village Hotel.
San Diego YC site: http://www.sdyc.org/raceinfo/pv2kC.htm
THE CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM:
Working journalist
Note: Nelson Weiderman has created a "Curmudgeon Server" at
http://noeticharbor.com/curmudgeon/. It randomly pulls Curmudgeonly wit from
a database loaded with past 'Butt Observations, Counsels, etc. Check it out!
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