SCUTTLEBUTT #338 - June 7, 1999

TECHNOLOGY

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http://www.ullmansails.com/

SPEED RECORDS
* Steve Fossett, sailing solo on his 60-foot trimaran Lakota, broke the existing Newport RI. to Bermuda Record by 13 hours, 4 minutes. The previous record was held by Jean-Pierre Mouligne onboard CCP/Cray Valley and stood at 53 hours, 55 minutes. Steve's new record now stands at 40 hours, 51 minutes.

The record setting adventurer, yachtsman & balloonist who this autumn and winter will once again take the helm of the 32m maxi catamaran PlayStation when he attacks the Trans Atlantic and Round the World records, took to his faithful record breaker Lakota whilst PlayStation is being repaired from the damage inflicted by a battery fire in March. At the half way mark Steve commented: "It's been wild so far with winds up to 28 knots and boat speeds up to 28.5." The average speed over the first 10 hours: 18 knots and after 20 hours: 16.5 knots.

* The 86-foot catamaran Explorer, skippered by veteran French marathon sailor Bruno Peyron, will attempt to set a new Transatlantic sailing record from the USA to England in early June. She is presently on standby in New York City, waiting for an ideal weather window,.

Last week, The 86-foot world-girdling catamaran set a Miami to New York speed record of two days, 22 hours, 50 minutes and 14 seconds for the 947-nautical-mile voyage, for an average speed of 13.37 knots.

Explorer holds speed records across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and was the first boat to break the 80-day Around the World barrier when she won the Trophe Jules Verne in 1993 with Peyron skippering. Chicago's Skip Novak, one of the best known Whitbread round-the-world skippers, will join Peyron on the record run along with other crew.

Explorer will start from the former location of the Ambrose Light Tower, off the entrance to New York Harbor and will finish at the entrance to the English Channel, crossing an imaginary line between Lizard Point in England and Ushant on the French coast. The World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) will formally record and ratify the Explorer voyage. - Keith Taylor

AMERICA'S CUP
* Computer Associates International, Inc. (CA), Club Nautique Morgien and FAST 2000 today announced that CA has signed on as a lead corporate sponsor in the construction of the Swiss racing yacht for the 1999/2000 America's Cup Challenge. Leveraging CA as a technology partner, the FAST 2000 team will also deploy Unicenter TNG, CA's advanced enterprise management solution, to monitor and analyze the yacht's performance data while competing.

Construction of the yacht is scheduled to be complete at the end of August 1999. The first challengers race of the Louis Vuitton Cup for the America's Cup officially begins on October 18, 1999 in New Zealand. FAST 2000 is managing the Swiss Challenge to the America's Cup for the Club Nautique Morgien.

Syndicate website: http://www.fast2000.com

* Australian Challenge for the America's Cup (ACAC) representatives Syd Fischer OBE and Sir James Hardy OBE today unveiled their "new generation" 2000 challenge syndicate - YOUNG AUSTRALIA 2000. The skipper will be prominent 19 year old Sydney sailor, and world junior match racing champion, James Spithill. He is the youngest ever skipper of an America's Cup entry. In another world first, the crew will consist of 11 talented young sailors aged 18-22 as well as four experienced "mentor sailors".

Crew selection has begun on a national basis and an intensive two-month training campaign will begin on Sydney Harbour from July 6. Youth sailors will be selected from the various Youth Sailing academies and schemes promoted by Australia's leading yacht clubs. Spithill will be taking the opportunity before training begins to compete in the internationally renowned Cento Cup match racing series in Italy hoping to improve on his already impressive world ranking.

While the boat, rigging, sails and infrastructure has been supplied by the ACAC, YOUNG AUSTRALIA 2000 syndicate is now in negotiation with youth market sponsors to ensure the young crew have every chance of success in New Zealand. -- Adam Wilson

LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON
Letters selected to be printed here are routinely edited for clarity, space (250 words max) or to exclude personal attacks.

-- From Doug Van Der Aa --I found Craig Fletcher's sour grapes amusing and informative: "I urge the Farr 40 class to increase the number of pro's to 9 (creating more jobs) and leave the amateurs out of the equation -- you obviously do not want us."

He clings to his Group 1 Corinthian status, shedding tears about the unfairness of not being able to drive. But in the next breath he shows us where his heart is - he wants to be paid as a Group 3 Pro. He wants full pro crews and full paychecks. Nice work if you can get it. But short of America's Cup and Whitbread/Volvo, fully professional sailing circuits (e.g. the ultimate 30) haven't been able to support themselves in this country.

Why has the Farr 40 class thrived compared to the 1D 48 class with its unlimited professionals (stuck at 8 boats, most of which are purportedly still owned by DeVos and leased to the campaigning teams)? The Farr 40 class seems to have developed a niche with its limits that seems to appeal to the guys who pay the bills. The owners want to be able to sail their boats, not sit in the back as a tourist or get left on the dock as excess weight.

-- From Maxwell Rosenberg -- In response to Craig Fletcher's writing about being excluded as a alternate driver in the Farr 40 class even though he is not a pro. Craig has hit upon a point that needs to be addressed. Not all pro's are secret weapons, much as not all amateurs are slow. Craig is a top driver, but he is a amateur and the Farr 40 class needs to stop there selective discrimination based on skill. Are they afraid the owner has a secret weapon? Craig is not pro -- they must let him drive.

-- From Peter Huston -- The various debates on the many topics which 'Butt brings to the forefront are very valuable for the sport. Regatta reports are typically pretty boring - and do nothing to advance the sport. The reality is that 'butt is by far and way the best source of information exchange within the sport, and without question the leader in stirring the pot. Sure, people are complaining about a wide variety of things, but it is the identification of these issues that will ultimately help to create a better sport. In time, people begin to focus on solutions to these problems.

Here's one such solution. People have this week been asking for a "how to" source of professional information on obtaining sponsorship for their event or team. International Events Group (IEG) in Chicago is probably the leading supplier in the world for informational services within the general sponsorship community. They publish several valuable tools - a bi-weekly sponsorship report, a legal guide to sponsorship, a directory, and a host of other specialized services. They can be reached by phone at 312-944-1727, or on the web at www.sponsorship.com. For the beginner, there are no better tools than those offered by IEG. You shouldn't even think of writing a sponsor contract without first reading their Legal Guide to Sponsorship - they even site an America's Cup case in the edition that I have which was published 10 years ago.

-- From Phil Lever, Dorset, England -- As an Englishman I can't say that I have noticed your lack of sponsorship at regattas or on sailing teams. I have had the pleasure of doing a few events in the 'states over the past 7 years or so (J24 worlds, S.P.O.R.T., Miami OCR), and the level of organistion (measurement, RC, met etc) and hospitality (free beer, food, accommodation etc) all of which were healthily supported by sponsors and very dedicated and kind club members. They were far superior to anything I've experienced in Europe.

To add to the debate on sponsorship. Most of us do this sport for fun, as a hobby. We should expect to shoulder the costs ourselves unless we head down the Olympic/Professional road. Would you sponsor a game of soccer in the park, or a bunch of grown ups to go fishing and drinking beer for the weekend? Neither would I.

-- From Scott MacDonald, Director of Sales, BOATSCAPE.COM-- When I read the first statements from Mr. Harken I was afraid. I was afraid that the sailing community would not understand the combination of economic interest and passion for the sport. I was wrong. The initial response was my favorite, "you the man."

We are sponsoring over 50 "grass root" events this summer with tangible product for each participant. This represents a significant commitment of people and money. Very often an event postures itself as too Corinthian for logo placement but still wants money, or wants a fee for the privilege to access their participants. These are barriers to entry.

Anyone who has seen an NHL hockey game, knows the boards are no longer a pristine white panel, but now key logo space. Many of these sponsors are non-hockey specific, and it didn't change the game. There is an enormous gap between one of the most powerful demographics in the world and the companies desperately trying to reach them.

From Tom Priest (Re: Lipton Cup format). --.I'm reminded of a simple quote..."If it works, don't fix it." Any YC serious about a Lipton campaign is already laying a pretty large chunk of change down for a suit of sails, fair bottoms, paint, charter fee, etc. for a Schock 35. Why escalate that with a boat that costs so much more? Asymmetries merely create a reach-a-rama oval race track.

I seem to remember a certain San Diego event that included a "Z-leg" to create excitement. (Is there a SDYC connection here?) That went over about as well as a fart in church, when it merely created parades on the course and extra costs for the program. Excitement comes in numbers, as in fleet size. Fleet size comes with planning, PR, and affordability.

-- From Colin Cases -- All the sponsorship discussions and today's Curmudgeon's Counsel prompts recall of the plastic surgeon many years ago at Antigua Race Week who had many of his clients (topless, of course) sitting on the rail. He was protested for advertising.

-- From Carol Boe -- Re Alan Johnson's suggestion to change Lipton Cup boats from Schock 35's to "sprit boat" because "so many are on the market": OK -- so I've never raced on a boat with an asymmetrical spinnaker but knowing it negates the need for foredeck crewwork, I must question his theory. Speaking from experience, getting 9 or 10 crew to perform mark roundings flawlessly has not come without a lot of hard work, practice ..."TEAMWORK." Taking away a HUGE part of that by using boats with asymmetrical chutes seems, well ... too easy! and I feel would NOT represent the true sport of competitive sailing.

-- From James Nichols -- One advantage to the J120 is that it's a fairly new class. Before making a decision on any class, talk to the class association and see if enough owners are willing to charter their boats: the supply + demand equation will take care of what the charter costs. But if I owned a J120 (or anything), and Dave Ullman (insert MIR here) wanted to charter my boat (and dial it in) . . . we could talk about it! My objection to the J120 is the crew size. Seems to me that would be as big or bigger obstacle to smaller yacht clubs in putting a program together - assuming the idea is for the crew to actually represent the club they sail for. Strange concept, I know.

Curmudgeon's comment: According to the class rules, the maximum crew weight allowed on a J/120 is significantly LESS than the Schock 35 max crew weight.

VOLVO OCEAN RACE
* Volvo Ocean Race officials in Paris today announced that the historic port of La Rochelle is to host the French stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race. In 1998 the first French stopover in the history of the race met with huge success and the competitors as well as the race sponsors and partners were impressed by the quality of the La Rochelle welcome. The stopover was well supported by the French public, with more than 100,000 people visiting the race village, and a large international audience was able to see at first hand the development of the new Bassin des Grand Yachts where the fleet was berthed. More than 2,000 boats accompanied the fleet for the start of the last leg of the race to England, which was started by the French Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin.

The economical feedback of the 1998 event could be counted in tens of millions of French francs, and the choice of La Rochelle as the French stopover in 2002 confirms the "sailing" image of this town which is steeped in maritime history. Once again, the fleet will be berthed in the completely renovated Bassin des Grand Yachts - the last building in this ambitious programme, the new Aquarium, will be opened in January 2001.

Frenchman Christophe Auguin's entry, officially announced today, confirms the return of France to this major sailing grand prix, known previously as The Whitbread, and now renamed the Volvo Ocean Race, Round The World 2001-2002. -- Dirk De Muynck

* United Productions, the television arm of United News and Media, a huge international media and information group specialising in news production and distribution, and Quokka Sports Inc., the digital sports entertainment company responsible for producing the highly acclaimed website for the last [Whitbread] Round the World Race, will work in tandem with the Volvo Ocean Race as media partners.

Volvo's integrated approach to the media and long history and experience in grand prix sporting events has called for a fresh approach to the management of the media and communication of this premier ocean race. Volvo Ocean Race headquarters, situated on the south coast of England, will be equipped with its own studio and digital facilities where both media partners will operate, under the administration of Volvo's own Executive Producer.

Together United News & Media and Quokka Sports Inc. will jointly co-ordinate and produce coverage of the Volvo Ocean Race as well as provide a comprehensive news gathering and distribution service working with the race' s own press office operation. This structure will ensure broadcasters and news channels will get the best possible service and are guaranteed that specific requests will be catered for, as well as provide instant access to the race studio and information service. -- Dirk De Muynck

Event Website: http://www.VolvoOceanRace.org

PERSONAL ENDORSEMENT
John Kostecki probably said it best; "Sailing Supply has the best inventory of sailing hardware and rigging." He might also have added that the friendly staff gets enormous pleasure from helping customers make the right decision. Harken, Samson, Yale, Douglas Gill, Forespar, Lewmar, Ronstan, KVH, Spinlock, Marlow and much, much more. And they ship the same day. Give them a call, or stop by their San Diego retail outlet. (800) 532-3831. http://www.sailingsupply.com/

NEWPORT GOLD REGATTA
Newport, RI - Kip Meadow's 'roXanne' won the 1D35 class yesterday in a hard-fought battle in the final day of racing at the Newport Gold regatta, held over June 4-6. This is the second consecutive class win for the 'roXanne' team, who won the last 1D35 season championship event in Annapolis four weeks ago at the GMC Yukon/Sailing World Annapolis NOOD Regatta. -- Dobbs Davis

Final results, 1D35 Class (14 boats): 1. RoXanne, Kip Meadows 22 points; 2. War Bride, Pete DuPOnt 22; 3. Smiling Bulldog, Garth Dennis 34; 4. Avalanche, Sledd Shelhorse 38; 5. Widowmaker, Nick & Tina Worth 41; 6. Canvasback, Doug Croker 53; 7. Joss, Owen Krantz 54; 8. Heartbreaker, Robert Hughes 57; 9. Southern Spirit, Greg Johnson 60; 10. Northern Bear, Steve Pfeifer 68.

Class website: http://www.1d35.com

AUCKLAND UPDATE
(Reprinted with permission from DEFENCE 2000, which is available for US $48 per year from John@roake.gen.nz)

* The Australian built replica of Captain Cook's Endeavour is returning to New Zealand and will be on display at Devonport, early February 2000. The 33 metre wooden ship is expected to arrive in New Zealand on Boxing day after completing a journey round the globe. She will be open to the public during her stay in Auckland.

* Twelve new IACC sail numbers have been issued to date. Four teams, Prada of Italy, Nippon Challenge, the Spanish Challenge and Aloha Challenge are already working on their second yachts, which makes nine syndicates in total as we go to press. Russia has not yet applied for a number. Sail numbers issued so far are: JAP44 (Nippon); ITA45 (Prada America's Cup Challenge): FRA46 (Le Defi Bouygues Telecom-Transiciel); ESP47 (Copa America Desafio Espanol); ITA48 (Prada America's Cup Challenge - Boat #2); USA49 (AmericaOne); USA50 (Aloha Racing); USA51 (America True); JAP52 (Nippon -Boat #2); USA53 (Young America); USA54 (Aloha Racing - Boat #2); USA55 (Team Dennis Conner) ESP56 (Copa America Desafio Espanol).

THE CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM
If it's true that we're here to help others, then what exactly are the OTHERS here for?