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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 924 - October 17, 2001Scuttlebutt is a digest of yacht racing news of major significance; commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American emphasis. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere.
SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST? 1. The ISAF Council disband the ORC Management Sub-Committee following the appointment in November 2001 of a new ISAF Offshore Racing Committee (ORC). 2. The work on the IMS rule be continued by a group, potentially comprised of the members of the current Management Sub-Committee, operating as an 'IMS Class Association'. 3. The employment contracts for the two SAIL staff that currently undertake work for the Offshore Racing Committee, be transferred to the new organisation established under 2. 4. All assets of the 'old' Offshore Racing Council are transferred to the new organisation established under 2. There is another submission not yet posted to the ISAF website that is entitled "Appointment of Committee Members - Offshore Racing Committee". The Farr 40, Mumm 30 and Mumm 36 class associations have asked to be removed from the existing Offshore One-Design Sub-Committee and placed under the jurisdiction of the keelboat committee, presumably to distance themselves from the political issues inherent in the OODSC's current makeup. Bob Fisher, writing in Grand Prix Sailor, comments on yet another salvo of submissions: Those submissions were hardly in place when there were two from the Chairman of the ORC, Hans Zuiderbaan, which concerned the ORC's place in the world of handicap administration. They attempt to establish a International Handicap Rule/System Sub-Committee of the ORC, to be approved and sanctioned by the ISAF Council, to oversee the administration of each rule or system that applies to join, and its responsibility will be to review the rule changes that "will affect the initial character or viability of the submitted rule." There will likely be considerable opposition to this from the RORC/UNCL on behalf of the IRC, with its "secret" formula. Unless the proposed sub-committee of the ORC had fullest details of the IRC, it's unlikely that it would accept the IRC- the broadest and most successful of the handicap systems used for a wide variety of boats - and the RORC/UNCL Committee which deals with the rule is extremely unlikely to reveal the "secret" that is the heart of the rule. See http://www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=1431 for a listing of all submissions and http://www.sailingworld.com/gps/ for the full text of Fisher's article.
COLORCRAFT GOLD CUP German skipper Marcus Wieser became the last unseeded skipper to win his way to the championship round which starts tomorrow when he won a sailoff early today for a wildcard slot against Marten Hedlund from Sweden with two straight victories. Championship Round One begins on Wednesday morning. In Group 1 action Team Stora Enso's Magnus Holmberg from Sweden, and the world's number one seeded match racer, faces American Andy Horton; Team Stars & Stripes' Dennis Conner matches up against native Bermudian Peter Bromby; Green faces Kiwi Gavin Brady sailing for Italy's Prada Challenge for the America's Cup; while Morten Henriksen of Germany's illbruck Challenge for the America's Cup locks horns with Briton Mark Campbell-James, at 21 years of age the event's youngest competitor. Group 2 features Gram-Hansen and his Team Marienlyst against fellow Dane Lars Nordjberg; American Ed Baird battling Great Britain's Chris Law; Markus Wieser of Germany going toe-to-toe with Ken Read of Team Stars & Stripes; and Oracle Racing's Peter Holmberg squaring off against Kiwi Scott Dickson who now lives in California. Event site: http://www.bermudagoldcup.com
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VOLVO OCEAN RACE Dalton was the underdog of the fleet before the start. His Amer Sports One yacht, designed by Mani Frers and not the popular Farr Yacht Design (who have drawn his last three Whitbread yachts), was one of the last to be built. This gave the Nautor Challenge team one of the shortest work up periods of the eight boat fleet. Having rounded the final waypoint of Ilha Trindade, Amer Sports One went east then south, taking over the lead with a one-mile advantage over illbruck at 0400 GMT this morning. By 10.00hrs GMT, that lead had stretched to seven miles. Today he is understandably chuffed by his leap on the fleet. "We are leading which believe me is as big a surprise to me as I am sure it is to the other competitors," he said earlier today. "The basis of this strategy is that Roger [Nilson] and I have been burnt many times by boats getting south of us, picking up breeze and disappearing. In fact it happened to us on Merit Cup with EF [Language] in exactly the same place 4 years ago [in the 1997-1998 Whitbread race]. So we came round Trindade headed south, no questions, no discussion - not making that mistake again". Amer Sports One's progress is even more remarkable considering the beamy Frers design was not expected to shine in the predominantly light breezes the fleet have experienced since the first week at sea.Ê These were expected to be the domain of some of the narrower Farr designed yachts.
Position report: 2200 hrs GMT October 16: Event site: http://www.volvooceanrace.org
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LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (dmccreary@boats.com) * From George Bailey: Used camera equipment places (many on web) often have small, light (1"x2") used mechanical rangefinders that were used with old-fashioned non-rangefinder cameras back in the 1950's and earlier. These usually are around $30 or so. The fit nicely in your pocket shirt pocket. The maximum range usually is no more than 60 meters (the good ones are made in Germany and are usually in meters). *From Mark Bennett: Louis VanVoorhis says that US Sailing acted "to expand the [definition of sailor] to include a greater range of sailors than the strict definition implies." It looks to me like US Sailing did exactly the opposite. The Stevens Act (220522.a.10) and USOC Bylaws (23.7.C.3.ii) would include any sailor "actively engaged" in competition. The original US Sailing definition from January 2001 included any sailor who had "rac[ed] a sailboat in a regional or national event" within the last 24 months (http://www.ussailing.org/exec/minutes20010123.htm). The revised US Sailing definition includes only sailors who have sailed in "a National or North American Sailing Championship recognized by ISAF or US Sailing". Both the original and revised US Sailing definitions are significantly narrower than the Stevens Act and USOC Bylaws, which would include 80-90% of sailors. The revised US Sailing definition includes at most the top 3-4% of our sport. This is clearly less inclusive, not more. Some readers think that any regatta including "national championship" in its name qualifies. The revised definition says that only regattas "recognized by ISAF or US Sailing" qualify. I think that means only the ladder events (such as Mallory, Adams, etc.) actually sanctioned by US Sailing. I have searched the US Sailing website in vain for any "recognition" of other regattas, such as the Tartan-10, J-35 or J-120 regattas mentioned by one person. By allowing representation only for elite Olympic and professional sailors, US Sailing is ignoring the vast majority of those who participate in our sport. US Sailing should change its policies to allow for representation of ALL sailors. How can US Sailing expect to "govern" the sport when it denies voting rights to the vast majority of its dues-paying members who don't qualify under the narrow definition of "sailor"?
AMERICA'S CUP Standbridge's record includes 13 Fastnet races, five Whitbread Round The World Races - most recently as skipper of Toshiba in the 1997/98 raceÊ - and bowman of the last British America's Cup campaign in 1987.Ê He joins the team this week, from his role as Skipper of Stealth, Giovanni Agnelli's 92 foot super maxi. He is now based in Auckland
NEW OFFICERS AT THE RYA George has been a keen sailor for many years. During the last 18, he has owned and enjoyed a 50ft narrow boat, a 32ft motor cruiser and a 25ft long keeled sloop. Throughout his sailing career, George has also found the time to serve two terms on RYA Council, been the Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Training Division, Chairman of the Yachtmaster Qualification Panel and served on a number of other RYA committees and working groups. It was also announced that popular RYA official Eddie Ramsden is the new RYA Deputy Chairman. A keen small boat sailor he has only recently taken to cruising in larger boats. Eddie plays an active role in training and race management and is an RYA senior dinghy instructor, a powerboat instructor and a racing coach and has served as a Judge on numerous occasions. At heart he remains a small boat enthusiast. Eddie is past president of the GP14's Class and is former Chairman of the Welsh Yachting Association and remains a member of the Executive committee and is Vice Chairman of the Training Committee. He has contributed considerably to the RYA's training and development work, whilst finding time to attend ISAF Committees.
BOAT QUOTES - Volvo Ocean Race * From Jason Carrington, ASSA ABLOY: How things change, I came on watch this morning to find that Dalts [Grant Dalton] was leading and that we had taken 22 miles out of Illbruck! The small gains and loses encountered during the leg between the two islands seem almost irrelevant compared to what is going on now Most of the chat on board is now focused on Cape Town and what we will eat and drink when we get there. Magnus [Olsson] now owes Klabbe [Klas Nylof] and me two meals at a restaurant of our choice for twice fixing the shattered toilet, a piece of equipment that seems close to his heart!! * From Tim Powell, Team Tyco: Everyone has picked themselves back up again after having the stuffing knocked out of us and we are working as hard as ever to get back in touch with the leaders. One thing is for certain and that is we do not want to be on this boat for more than 36 days and we really don't want to start rationing our rations. That would be very bad. * From Mikael Lundh, djuice dragons: Big gains for the pink boys as the leaders park south of the last waypoint of the first leg (Trindade). Again we gain on the leaders and there is some hope of closing the gap a little. You should never wish other people misfortune, however we need a break to get into the same weather as the rest and start the chase to Cape Town. We are not communicating to our loved ones so you will have to read a little love letter from the djuice boys to their wives, girlfriends or 24 hour rule girls. We love and miss you fully max-ed out and we look forward seeing you all soon, sometimes we dream about food and proper drinks but most dreams are just about you. Not very poetic but it will have to do.
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