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SCUTTLEBUTT 1259 - February 11, 2003Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt is adigest of major yacht racing news, 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. UNVEILING The America's Cup defender and the America's Cup challenger sprang no surprises as they revealed the undersides of their boats to the public this morning. Alinghi design team member Manolo Ruiz de Elvira said only minor changes had been made to the boat since the victory over Oracle. "We really had to race the best boat we had to beat Oracle," he said. "There's been some small improvements since then. We're a little bit faster than we were then, but the basic concept is the one that was already there in the (challenger series) finals. Since then "tiny changes" had been made to the hull shape and sail area, he said. That means Alinghi will be going into the America's Cup contest without a radical hull appendage, which is a key part of Team NZ's design for their race boat NZL-82. Ruiz de Elvira said Alinghi had done some work on the "hula" concept within time and budget constraints. "Our conclusion from what we saw in the last two months was that we would stay with the configuration we have." Part of his responsibility on the Alinghi team is performance predictions, and he said that based on the information available to him it was "really hard to tell which (of the boats) is going to be marginally faster". Team New Zealand's unveiling followed at 9am and was a much lower key affair. Hundreds of fans streamed into the defender's compound to see NZL-82 already revealed, with its hull looking much like it did when first shown to the public in early January. Team NZ principle designer Mike Drummond was reluctant to give much away, but agreed with a suggestion everything was "pretty much" the same as it had been when the boat was first revealed. "I don't think you'd notice too many differences," he said. "We have developed the boat a little bit, but just in small ways that I'm not really going to detail." - NZ Herald, full story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/americascup/ THE SYNDICATES SPEAK "There's not very much difference (from the boat TNZ unveiled before the LVC finals)," Team New Zealand head Tom Schnackenberg admitted. "We were pretty happy with NZL-82 as we presented her in January so there's not very much that's changed. We've done a lot of work verifying, sailing with both boats and racing intensely, making changes to the appendages and sails as we go along." For Alinghi, the bulb, the keel and the rudder are the same, according to design coordinator Grant Simmer. The obvious changes were a slightly different bow shape, and dual shroud rigging which should reduce windage when sailing upwind. "The big gains we've made have been through the dual rigging and we've been working a lot on the sails," Simmer said. "We know that the rigging change should give us about half a metre per minute upwind. On the bow there's a steeper angle which makes the boat a little shorter and allows us to have a little more sail area." Simmer says the boat can now carry about two square-metres of sail more than it did in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final and he expects that will help his Swiss team in lighter conditions. All in all, Simmer says he expects they've gained over a metre per second through all the adjustments. But is that enough to overpower Team New Zealand and the 'hula'? Our modelling of what they've got doesn't show it to be that good," Simmer said. "We've heard that their design team thinks it will be nine seconds a mile faster upwind. That's a huge amount that we don't think they've got. In some conditions it might be slightly better upwind. It will definitely be worse in light conditions." "We think that we're going to be faster upwind, and they're going to be a little bit faster downwind, and that's where we want to be," Simmer said. "Then we can take the early lead and control the race. If you ask our sailors what they want, they want to be fast upwind." - Peter Rusch, America's Cup website, full story: http://americascup.yahoo.com/story1846.html JUST IN TIME FOR VALENTINES You still have time to get that special person their favorite shorts. The Camet Padded Sailing shorts are the ideal gift. New colors and models, all made of the breathable fast drying Supplex and the Cordura seat patch. The Shorts and a Breathable Coolmax Shirt, all hidden in the Mylar bag, is the best surprise. Check them out at http://www.camet.com THE OLYMPICS With the opening meeting hosted by the Mayor of Cadiz, who has been instrumental in the hosting of the ISAF World Sailing Championships, the first quarter ISAF Executive Committee Meeting, 7-9 February 2003, addressed a variety of issues on the sport. Amongst one of the first agenda items discussed was the still undecided proposal to reduce sports and events for future Olympiads, as put forward by the IOC appointed Olympic Programme Commission in August 2002. With the sailing programme threatened with a reduction in events, ISAF has been lobbying the IOC to secure at the least, if there is a reduction in the number of medals that ISAF retains its autonomy to select the Olympic sailing event which will be eliminated, and at the other end to retain the status quo. A final decision is expected from the IOC Executive Board during 2003. However, with additional pressure from the other sports who were targeted by the Olympic Programme Commission's proposals, it is hoped that whatever the IOC's decision, there will be no change for sailing until after Beijing 2008. - www.sailing.org US SAILING OLYMPIC PRE-TRIALS TORNADO - Miami YC, Final results (22 boats): 1. Robbie Daniel/ Eric Jacobsen (USA) 14; 2. Xavier Revil/ L Guillemette (FRA) 18; 3. Roman Hagara/ H-P Steinacher (AUT) 18; 4. Olivier Backes/ Laurent Voiron (FRA) 26; 5. Andrew Landenberger/ Johannes Polgar (GER) 34. Complete results: http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/2004Trials/TorPTresults.htm EUROPE - Lauderdale YC, Final results (17 boats): Meg Gaillard (USA) 10; 2. Lenka Smidova (CZE) 11; 3. Krysia Pohl (USA) 27; 4, Marcia MacDonald (CAN) 34; 5. Christin Feldman (USA) 36. Complete results: http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/2004Trials/EuroPTresults.htm JULES VERNE TROPHY * GERONIMO: ON Sunday, the Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric trimaran left behind the troubled and difficult Indian Ocean, for which Olivier de Kersauson has little time or liking. Suffice it to say that the crew is now very happy to be making headway in the Pacific. "It's a real relief. We've had some really disgusting weather conditions and I can see that the awful systems that stopped us going south are still there now. I'm very happy to be out of that ocean and into the Pacific." Early this morning, just before beginning her 30th day at sea, Geronimo reached longitude 155° East, which is the halfway point of her course. Their most recent 24 hour run was 458 nm for an average speed of more than 19 knots. Geronimo is currently 1083 miles ahead of the Jules Verne Trophy record pace of Orange.- http://www.grandsrecords.com * KINGFISHER2 is stuck with practically no breeze, and sweltering heat - the water temperature is now at 30 degrees. There is nothing Ellen MacArthur or the crew can do except take advantage of any breeze or squall that comes their way. Kingfisher2 may have had to deal with a periods of very light winds but the fact remains that this area of the ocean is notorious for its windless zones. "We probably have another 2 days of this but, hopefully, some pressure will build tomorrow night," said MacArthur. "We are not pretending its the perfect trip - it's not. But the weather is completely out of our control and we just have to deal with it." Kingfisher2 Day 10 Summary (http://www.teamkingfisher.com): - 10 hours 30 minutes behind Orange - 41 hours 02 minutes behind Geronimo - Day 11 (24 hour run): Kingfisher2-355 nm, Orange-435 nm, Geronimo-495 nm - Distance to go: Kingfisher2-20664 nm, Orange-20496 nm, Geronimo-20007 nm JULES VERNE COMMENTARY Ellen MacArthur will be acutely aware that in a decade of Jules Verne attempts, De Kersauson has turned back from the South Atlantic several times because he has not made the desired progress. He has also been stopped in his tracks three times by damage and gear failure. Kingfisher2 is some 1,100 miles from its waypoint to turn south-east into the Southern Ocean and the critical decision time whether to press on is fast approaching. Factored in MacArthur's calculations will be the diminishing opportunity to return to the Ushant start line to launch a second attempt. Early March is considered about as late as is comfortable to leave northern Europe in order to pass through the Southern Ocean before late summer gives way to early autumn. - Tim Jeffery, The Telegraph, full story: http://sport.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml;$sessionid$DZARLS5BAC2QDQFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml=/sport/2003/02/11/soyats11.xml&sSheet=/sport/2003/02/11/ixothspt.html MILLENNIUM CUP Auckland, New Zealand, -Pure racers stole the limelight but performance cruisers took the trophies on a spectacular opening day of racing in the New Zealand Millennium Cup Superyacht Regatta 2003 today.In Division 1 for the biggest boats, Italy's Francesco de Angelis, winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup aboard Prada three years ago, steered the 105-foot Italian fast cruising sloop Ulisse to a corrected time victory, ahead of American developer Harry Maclowe, racing his 112-foot sloop Unfurled. Third was Louis Vuitton Cup winner Paul Cayard, steering Briton Mike Slade's sleek 97-foot sloop Canon Leopard. Some of the biggest and fastest competition yachts in the world broke clear of the pack as the international fleet of 50 superyachts showed their paces on the Hauraki Gulf. They were closely followed by a clutch of super-sized performance cruisers in a tightly-packed spinnaker reach that segued into a Technicolor traffic jam. On Tuesday, the second race of the series was cancelled after a fruitless two-hour wait for sufficient wind to signal a start. - Keith Taylor, http://www.millenniumcup.com CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS * February 14-16: Sailing World National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regatta, St. Petersburg YC. More than 150 racing boats are expected to compete in 16 classes on Tampa Bay in Florida. - http://www.sailingworld.com * June 20-27: Tasar World Championships, Victoria, BC Canada. - www.tasarworlds2003.org AROUND ALONE 2003 Almost two days into Leg 4 of the Around Alone and the skippers are enjoying ideal sailing conditions. The wind is light, and from behind, but after a long break on land it's always nice to ease back into things. The big winds will arrive soon enough and before long the boats will careening on the edge of control as they make their way towards Cape Horn. STANDINGS 2200 UTC February 9 CLASS 1: 1. Bobst Group-Armor Lux, Bernard Stamm, 7126 miles from finish; 2. Tiscali, Simone Bianchetti, 3 miles behind leader; 3. Ocean Planet, Bruce Schwab, 4 mbl; 4. Solidaires, Thierry Dubois, 6 mbl; 5. Hexagon, Graham Dalton, 18 mbl; 6. Pindar, Emma Richards, 32 mbl. CLASS 2: 1. Tommy Hilfiger, Brad Van Liew, 7139 miles from finish; 2. BTC Velocity, Alan Paris, 65 mbl; 3. Everest Horizontal, Tim Kent, 65 mbl; 4. Spirit of yukoh, Kojiro Shiraishi, 67 mbl 5. Spirit of Canada, Derek Hatfield, 77 mbl;,. www.aroundalone.com GOT UPWASH? What is upwash? Picture a rock in a river. The water begins bending around the rock well before it reaches the rock itself, which is what wind does as it meets your sailplan - upstream, ahead of the sails, the true wind shifts direction. That's upwash. How much upwash effect is there? More when beating, less on a reach, minimal on a run, more with fuller sail shapes, less when flatter, more in light air, less in fresh breeze. Contact Tom Davis (tom@ockam.com) for a calibration crib sheet or to schedule an onboard calibration and system checkup. QUOTE / UNQUOTE "The boats are very different, and we know one team will have got it right and one team is going to get it wrong." - Curtis Blewett, Alinghi foredeck. AS SEEN BY DENNIS CONNER There is no doubt in the mind of America's Cup legend Dennis Conner just who will be holding up the Auld Mug at the end of the month. "I'm picking Team New Zealand. I just like the whole package, with Clay Oliver's design and Tom Schnackenberg's management. He's smart and he's been around a long time. "Their boats are fast and since 1967 the fastest boats have won," he said with his grand grin on full display. - Glenn McLean, The Daily News, full story: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dailynews/0,2106,2243467a6002,00.html NEWS BRIEFS * The Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation (AYCF) has funds available and is actively seeking requests for grants for coaching, training, or to support the campaign expenses for national and international competition. Applicants must be active sailors, coaches, or instructors in the mid-Chesapeake Bay region. Applications may be downloaded from: www.annapolisyc.org * At St. Francis Yacht Club's 2002 Stag Cruise, Gary Bill Ficker, Halsey Herreshoff, Jory Hinman, Gary Jobson and Olin J. Stephens II presented a forum on the "History and Future of America's Cup." The transcript of the first half of the forum is now available: www.sailingworld.com/sw_article_AC.php?articleID=1622 * Eight weeks prior to the April 1 closing date for entries in the DaimlerChrysler North Atlantic Challenge 2003, 52 yachts have confirmed their participation in the 3,500 nautical mile offshore race leaving from Newport, Rhode Island, USA to Cuxhaven and on to Hamburg, Germany in June. The newest entry to the fleet set to depart Newport on June 14/21 is the classic 143-foot ketch Sylvia, owned by Jens Ehrhardt of Pullach, Germany. More than 100 yachts are expected to compete in this race which will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Hamburgischer Verein Seefahrt (HVS), a long-standing sailing club based in Hamburg, Germany. - http://www.dcnac.de/ * March 7 is the deadline for discounted entry fees for the 42nd Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii, but a dozen boats are in well under the wire, listing home ports from San Diego to Seattle and from Long Beach to Coral Gables, Fla. A Transpac rule requires that 30 per cent of the crew have attended a Safety at Sea Seminar within the last five years. A seminar is scheduled March 15 at the Orange Coast College School of Sailing and Seamanship in Newport Beach. - www.transpacificyc.org LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com) (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 or a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.) * From Kevin Hall: After sailing with the OneWorld syndicate for the past two and a half years, the opportunity to coach the US Team at the ISAF World Team Racing Championship was thrilling. We were treated to the highest level of dinghy boat-handling, umpiring, sailing rule application, and intense but honorable competition between nations. It was exciting to hear our national anthem played for the US Team. After the medals were awarded, Hon. Trevor Mallard, New Zealand Minister of Sport, introduced Peter Lester, who would share the differences between the two America's Cup yachts, and hence the likely results of the cup as well: certainly a unique opportunity for the sailors in attendance. What followed was not appropriate at this or any other awards ceremony. Mr. Lester began by juxtaposing the affluence and arrogance of the challengers with the modesty and modest means of the Kiwis. He then described, as if there first hand, the "promise" which Russell and Brad had made to remain "Loyal". He continued by stating that Mr. Schnackenberg is the smartest sailor in the world, and concluded by suggesting that if these young sailors at this championship were really dedicated and played their cards right, that they might, just might, have a chance to sail for the America's Cup one day. It took the sailors of ten nations, who gathered to celebrate excellence in sport and to make new friends, some time to reclaim the vibe which was stolen from them that evening. It may take me a lifetime to only remember the good things about having spent the last two years of my life in New Zealand. * From Scott S. Barnard: Did I miss any other Farr 40 owners on the results list from the Finn Olympic Pre-Trials? You have to admire a guy like Philippe Kahn coming from larger boats to race not only a Melges 24, but sailing to a 22nd in the Finn Olympic Pre-Trials - finishing every race and beating a third of the fleet. It is rare that someone works their way down to smaller boats. It is undoubtedly hard on the ego, but most assuredly hard to hike through it all in a Finn. Philippe has to compete against the likes of Mark Mendelblatt, who won in the Laser last week at the Miami OCR, taking 7th this week in a Finn. Philippe goes from Farr 40's, Mumm 30's and a Transpac sled, to a Melges and also a Finn. * From Tim Dick: Today's America's Cup has become a wrangling match between anachronistic boats. How can we bring the Cup closer to its roots and make it exciting to sailors, spectators and TV alike? A diversity of courses. 3 windward / leeward. Two triangles. One double-counting "day ocean race." Marks are not moved if wind shifts. Races start if wind is between 7 knots and 30 knots. A "box rule" of 85 feet LOA x 17 feet beam x 15 feet draft allows designers to build more exciting, planing boats while eliminating rule squabbles. ORC Class 1 safety standards and an Open 60 type stability test: positive buoyancy with mast head hoisted down to the water with all moveable ballast on the "wrong" side. No limits on appendages, rigs, or moveable ballast. No stored energy. Allow lifelines & hiking. Measurement. A team may sail either of a maximum of two measured-legal boats in any race. Measurements occur only between race series. 20 sails per race series so teams in repechage series' are not penalized. Materials: All materials that are freely available on the commercial market (including sails) are legal. No team may "corner the market" by acquiring enough of a material so that other competitors may not obtain enough to be competitive. Teams may use any environmental or externally observable competitor performance information at any time, including on the water, so long as the sources of all non-boat originated information (e.g. weather buoy) are made freely available to all competitors in real time. THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Life not only begins at forty, it also begins to show. |
