|
SCUTTLEBUTT 1750 - January 10, 2005
Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt is a
digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock
talk . . . with a North American focus. Corrections, contributions, press
releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always
welcome, but save your bashing, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere.
WHAT WENT WRONG?
(Yachting journalist Rich Roberts spoke with Jim Pugh, partner in the
Reichel/Pugh design firm, about the problems experienced by Skandia and
Konica Minolta in the recent heavy air Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Here's an
excerpt from Roberts' story in The Log.)
Pugh spoke cautiously, saying, "I'm not really familiar with the details of
these boats, so it's easy to be an armchair admiral and criticize." That
said, he added: "Skandia is definitely a budget boat. I don't the details
of how the boat was put together, hut I've heard enough the last few days
to make me cringe a little. It's clearly under the specifications that we
would use. From what I hear on Skandia, there are two cylinders and they're
both on one side. They collapsed."
Pugh noted that other canting keel systems are built with two cylinders, or
"rams," on opposite sides and others with only one ram. "It really doesn't
matter," he said. "You just have to make sure the cylinders are built to do
the job. We have three-inch rods with cylinders [on opposite sides]
opposing each other, and they're 17.4 stainless [steel] - very high
strength material." Unconfirmed reports in Australia say that Skandia's
cylinders were only two inches diameter and regular stainless. "Maybe they
don't look at the worst-case scenario with the boat lying on its side with
the things fully extended," Pugh said.
Konica Minolta, the other super maxi that dropped out after suffering
structural damage when it fell off a wave, had a standard keel but also
wasn't up to the conditions. "That boat was engineered by a company in New
Zealand: High Modulus," Pugh said, "[which is] very reputable." But the
builders may have ventured into unknown territory. "That boat has a keel
tower, kind of like an America's cup boat," Pugh said. "Instead of being
bolted to the bottom of the boat, it comes up inside a keel tower to the
deck. It's a way of reducing the overall weight by tying it into the deck,
but it's pretty unusual for an offshore racing boat because it takes up so
much room inside. And when you tie it into the deck, you do run into other
structural problems.
"Even if the keel was done in the traditional sense, you come down [off a
wave] and you're basically trying to break the back of that deck. But when
you put that keel tower up there, you also have some loads being thrust
into the deck. "It broke just in front of that, right across the deck,
between the front of that keel tower and the mast, and apparently there
wasn't much in the way of fore-and-aft structure in that area." - Rich
Roberts, The Log, full story: http://thelog.com/news/newsview.asp?c=138717
REFIT
When the gun marking the start of Tracy Edwards' first round the world
race, the Oryx Quest, sounds off Doha just one month's time Brian Thompson
will be undertaking the greatest sailing voyage to date in his already
impressive offshore multihull sailing career as skipper of the former Club
Med/Maiden catamaran now called Qatar 2006,
At present his 110ft Gilles Ollier & Associates-designed catamaran is
undergoing the hastiest of refits in Doha. The refit is largely a case of
going through all the existing gear, in particular the deck gear and
electronics with a fine toothcomb. One of the major jobs is removing the
engines - unlike The Race these are not mandatory for the Oryx Quest. "We
are putting generators in a la Kingfisher II," says Thompson (ie the
propellers and prop shafts are being removed and engines are being replaced
with smaller generators.
A replacement daggerboard is on its way and Offshore Challenges' expertise
is being harnessed in organizing the boat's new state of the art
communications equipment. A new sail wardrobe is being built at present,
except for two sails saved from Club Med that have been seen little use.
Due to the time constraints the new sails are being built by both
Incidences and the North lofts in France. North are doing the main, Solent
and staysail while Incidence are making the gennikers and all the downwind
sails. Thomson hopes the boat to be sailing mid-late January. - Excerpt
from a major story on The Daily Sail subscription website, www.thedailysail.com
THE TWO-STOP ROUND THE WORLD RACE
The Spanish City of Bilbao, in the province of Bizkaia, has won the bid to
host the start and finish of the 5-Oceans Race 2006/07 singlehanded,
two-stop round the world race. The race (formerly called Around Alone) will
start from the Puerto Deportivo el Abra Getxo, located at the mouth of
Bilbao's river, on November 5, 2006, and finish there the following spring.
The 5-Oceans Race has already announced a significant investment of $500k
from the Government of Western Australia for Fremantle to host the event's
first stopover. The agreements with Bilbao and Fremantle will include
building race villages for competitors and spectators, race management and
marina facilities, free accommodation for each skipper and up to four shore
crew, and of course, the customary local hospitality for competitors, race
partners, the media and sponsors.
Leg 2 sees competitors race to a host port on the Eastern Seaboard of the
USA, to be announced, and the final leg will be a transatlantic sprint
returning to Bilbao in the spring of 2007. The event will be raced in the
Grand Prix IMOCA Open 60 and sister class, the Open 50. The choice of two
classes will reduce the overall duration of the race. This, combined with
shortening the length of each stopover, will considerably lower the overall
cost of entry for each skipper and their sponsors. www.5-oceans.com/
KEY WEST RACE WEEK REGATTA SUPPORT
While at Key West stop in at the Florida Rigging & Hydraulics Regatta
Support Trailer again located in the A&B parking lot to best serve your
needs with competitive year round prices. Look for the latest cordage from
Yale (including a new 3/8 Conception - light, strong, and free running),
hardware from Lewmar, Frederiksen, Tylaska, etc., rigging from Navtec and
lots of other stuff to keep your boat going, including full product
support. T-shirts free to customers while they last. Call 561-719-4672 or
800-718-1649. http://www.rigginghydraulics.com
PERSONAL BEST
On Sunday, Ellen MacArthur, sailing the 75-multihull B&Q, sets a new
personal best 24-hour distance record of 501.6 miles recorded by 1310gmt
data at an average speed of 20.9 knots on her solo round the world record
attempt. MacArthur has sailed faster over a 24 hour period - on her solo
west-east transatlantic record attempt in June 2004, she set a personal
24-hour distance record of 525.96 miles. The current solo 24-hour record is
still held by Laurent Bourgnon at 540 miles, set on his successful
transatlantic record in 1994. MacArthur is currently 25 minutes shy of a 5
day lead on Joyon's solo round the world record. With nearly 1000 miles to
go to Cape Horn - the final Southern Ocean cape to pass before turning left
and into the South Atlantic - MacArthur has been setting a blistering pace
in favorable north-westerly conditions averaging between 20 and 24 knots.
Much of MacArthur's focus will now be in preservation of herself and the
boat. Late Sunday night Ellen reported, "I've taken to sleeping when the
wind is at its peak. So when it's breezy I try to go to sleep, when its
light I'm awake - reverse logic!' - www.teamellen.com
QUOTE / UNQUOTE
"It's very rewarding to be at the front of the Vendee Globe round-the-world
race. Two months ago I was 870 miles off the lead. Coming back like this
makes you feel like a winner. Whatever happens now, this achievement alone
is very, very satisfying." - Mike Golding, Ecover, The Telegraph, full
story: http://tinyurl.com/6jzdh
VIRTUAL DEAD HEAT
Jean Le Cam took a gamble that, for the moment at least, has cost him the
lead. He opted for a more easterly course than the others … but during the
last 60 hours both Mike Golding and Vincent Riou have benefited greatly
from being to the west of an area of high pressure where the wind has been
stronger, while le Cam has been wallowing some 135 miles to their east. The
big winner is Mike Golding. At point, Golding is in a virtual dead heat
with Vincent Riou (PRB) at the top of the singlehanded non-stop round the
world race. In the last week Golding has made up 300 miles. Dominique
Wavre, who has rounded the Horn is the fifth competitor to enter the home
stretch. On Friday Jean Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec) broke his boom. Dick
hopes to make repairs before the Horn and believes he has the necessary
material aboard.
Leaders at 1900 GMT January 9:
1. PRB, Vincent Riou, 5644 miles to finish
2. Ecover, Mike Golding, 1 mile to leader
3. Bonduelle, Jean Le Cam, 19 mtl
4. VMI, Sébastien Josse, 576 mtl
5. Temenos, Dominique Wavre, 900 mtl
6. Virbac-Paprec, Jean-Pierre Dick 1927 mtl
7. Skandia, Nick Moloney, 2792 mtl
8. Arcelor Dunkerque, Joé Seeten, 3358 mtl
9. Hellomoto, Conrad Humphreys, 3687 mtl
10. Ocean Planet, Bruce Schwab, 3840 mtl
Complete standings: www.vendeeglobe.fr/uk/
KEY WEST IS COMING
Are you ready for Key West Race Week? There is still time for gear updates
like new boots, gloves or quick dry shorts - consider the Railriders Jammin
shorts, Harken gloves, Gill boots, or a Camet rash guard. Perhaps the new
lightweight Musto Caribbean jacket or the hot new Henri-Lloyd Axis jacket
for women. Whatever you are doing, whether it's Key West racing or hitting
the ski slopes, visit the Team One Newport website for the best gear
available, or call 800-VIP-GEAR (800-847-2368) for a free catalog and
expert advice on dressing for any type of weather! http://www.team1newport.com
BEN AINSLIE
British sailing star Ben Ainslie is preparing to take a back seat for the
next few years in his America's Cup role with Team New Zealand. Ainslie,
the two-time Olympic champion, joined the Kiwis in the absence of a British
entry for the 2007 America's Cup in Valencia, Spain. The 27-year-old is
learning the ropes as part of the afterguard, the group of sailors at the
back of the boat who decide on tactics and strategy. And he is focusing on
a long-term goal of becoming a starting helmsman in sailing's premier
match-racing event.
"Dean [Barker] is the number one helmsman and skipper of the boat and for
that to change its going to take a seismic shift," Ainslie told BBC Sport.
"So I've not really set my sights on trying to do that. My role is to push
Dean and make sure he's kept on his toes. "If it's better for the team when
it comes to racing that I'm in a strategist role then that's fine. "But
hopefully, I'll walk away from it with the ability to be a really good
America's Cup helmsman and knowing that next time I could be number one." -
BBC, full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/4152479.stm
NEWS BRIEFS
* Ragtime, the former Transpac winner, will be auctioned to the highest
bidder at 10:00 AM on Saturday, 21 at 1301 Pier "B" Street in Long Beach,
California. The 65-footer is believed to have been designed, built and
launched by John Spencer in 1967. To inspect Ragtime prior to the auction,
contact Bob Jeffers, 619-571-1503.
* The Storm Trysail Club and the Annapolis YC are hosting a free IRC
Seminar conducted by Barry Carroll, Executive Director of US-IRC, for
Chesapeake big boat sailors & race organizers on Saturday, February 5 at
the Annapolis YC from 0830-1130.
* The Hinckley Co. moved its corporate headquarters to Portsmouth, RI last
year, and, on Monday, Governor Carcieri will welcome the company when he
visits there. Hinckley, formerly headquartered in Southwest Harbor, Maine,
has had the largest of its five full-service boat yards in Portsmouth since
1999 when the company acquired The Ted Hood Companies. Last year, Gerard
Dischino, the firm's chief executive officer, and Janet Smith, chief
financial officer, moved to the Portsmouth facility where they established
a new corporate headquarters. - Providence Journal, full story:
www.projo.com/business/content/projo_20050108_hink08x.161790.html
* The Orange II maxi catamaran and her crew are ready to go. The loading of
supplies is over and all of the crew is on the spot waiting for the start.
Skipper Bruno Peyron is waiting for a window in the weather to allow him to
set sail on this new attempt at the round the world record. Orange II's
skipper made things official by announcing the names of the thirteen men,
who will make up the crew around the world. Altogether, the crew of Orange
II have 171 transatlantic crossings and more than 21 round the world
voyages. - www.maxicatamaran-orange.com/
* In Great Britian, The Raymarine/ RYA Young Sailor of the Year has been
presented to 18 year-old Nick Thompson from Lymington. Originally presented
in 1955 to recognize British sporting excellence in power or sail, the
Raymarine/ YJA Yachtsman of the Year award bears the names of the greatest
achievers in British yachting and powerboating including Ellen MacArthur
and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. The Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year Award
recognizes endeavor and achievement by young British sailors under the age
of 19, in particular youngsters who have made a significant impact on youth
sailing. - www.rya.org.uk/Default.asp?contentID=3731036
MAN OVERBOARD
Realizing immediately that a man-overboard has occurred is vital to a
successful rescue. SeaMarshall rescue beacons and receivers interface with
most GPSs and with Ockam instruments, turning any display into a visual
emergency repeater. For details on this essential safety gear for racers
and cruisers, contact Chip Barber: mailto:admin@chbarber.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. This is not 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.)
* From Chris Bedford, Sailing Weather Services: With regard to the Qingdao
weather data shown in the graphs on the Scuttlebutt website, the linked
data is interesting and informative, however one always needs to consider
the data quality and method of data collection before drawing conclusions.
The link provides averaged data from a reporting station located 5-10 nm
from the proposed racing area. In addition, the anemometer location is
somewhat geographically different from where the sailing will take place.
The exposure of the anemometer is important and, in this case, less than
perfect. Also, the averages are given for a 24 hour period. This includes
lighter winds of the overnight period which tend to decrease 24 hour
averages giving the appearance of lighter winds at the venue.
While the sailing venue will certainly have light winds compared to the
Meltemi of Athens or consistent sea breeze of Sydney, it certainly won't be
as bad as indicated. In summary - Is the venue light air? Yes. Is is
unsailable? No. If I may make a long range prediction - we can look forward
to plenty of challenging and exciting sailing in 2008.
* From Rob Anderson: The discussion regarding recent boat
construction/engineering failures, brought a favorite quote to mind ...
"Structural Engineering is the art and science of molding materials we do
not fully understand into shapes we cannot precisely analyze to resist
forces we cannot accurately predict, all in such a way that the society at
large is given no reason to suspect the extent of our ignorance"
* From Guy Buchanan: Eric Hall's response to Dr. Jacobs is thoughtful and
well reasoned. I particularly like his example of Hall's "esoteric local
crippling program" since it exemplifies the very empirical data that lies
at the heart of even the most rigorous finite element analysis in the
yachting industry. I do take exception to the notion that one would never
impose not-to-exceed standards on sailing hardware. During our brief
existence, (1991 - 2000,) we regularly imposed such limits on mega-yacht,
AC, and turbo-sled rigs and structures. Probably the only yachts we did
that had no limitations whatsoever were Whitbread 60s.
Mega-yachts had very stringent, very explicit tables of wind and sea
conditions versus configuration. AC boats had very explicit limitations on
rig loading, sea state, and winch loading. Turbo-sleds, for many years,
operated under very strict limitations carried in the heads of the
successful boat captains. These limitations were well understood by the
successful rig designers. (I'm guessing Eric remembers.) Failures often
occurred when something "new" was tried, falling outside of what was
"expected" or "understood". (I remember well a turbo-sled crew blowing out
a rig in their first race by vang sheeting a blast reach, something an
experienced owner/ captain would have never allowed without consulting the
designers/ builders.)
* From Al Johnson: I had wondered earlier about the impact on everyone's
insurance rates as zillion dollar boats are being bashed and broken in the
Sydney-Hobart race. The whole idea of insurance is that it spreads the cost
of losses across everyone who has insurance. When losses go up, everyone's
premium goes up.
I was horrified when I saw Roger Shaw's letter that would require all
ocean-racing yachts to be insured. It's been my experience with insurance
companies that when they see something that they don't fully understand and
looks risky, they either reduce their exposure by refusing to insure
anything that that looks at all like that item, or they triple the rates on
everybody that they put into that category to cover the additional
perceived risk. I heard (but can't personally substantiate) that after a
particularly expensive port/starboard collision on a Wednesday night race
in Seattle that one local company cancelled all their policies on sailboats
that race.
Bottom line - if all the cutting edge, zillion dollar boats are insured,
plan on the policy on your 30-foot racer-cruiser to get much more
expensive, assuming that you can even get insurance.
* From Bruce Thompson: If the racers want to push the envelope on their
boats, I hope they have the common decency to indemnify their designers
against product liability claims. If not, I can see the headline now "Widow
of Drowned Billionaire Sues Designer".
* From Chuck Gilchrest: In response to John C. Wade's comments regarding
competition in auto racing, skiing, and sailing, please note that sailors,
skiiers and motosports competitors spend untold dollars to have the best
equipment possible. They do so to have the best chance of winning. All is
not equal in any form of competitive sport. Even amongst one design
sailors, equipment choices can and will make a difference, but only if the
skipper and crew have the skills to extract every advantage from the
specific boat they are on. Ultimately, honing the skills required to
prepare yourself and your vessel, to sail it to the best of your ability,
and to learn from each competitive moment is what will bring success in the
racing world. Whether its go karts or Formula One cars, NASTAR or World Cup
Skiing, Sabots or TP52's, equipment alone won't make the difference. The
racing edge must come from within the competitor.
CURMUDGEON'S COUNSEL
Live your life so that when you die, the preacher will not have to make
lies at your funeral.
|
| |