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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 558 - April 28, 2000KEY WEST TO BALTIMORE RACE(Baltimore, MD-April 27, 2000)-- Taking only 95 hours to cover the 1100 nautical mile course, the crew of Bob Towse's BLUE YANKEE (Stamford, CT) became the first boat to finish the Key West to Baltimore Race at 11:56 am. With Spinnaker flying in the easterly breeze, the crew sailed across the line, met by friends, family and fans attending the Baltimore Waterfront Festival at Baltimore's inner harbor. "It was one of the windiest races I've ever done," explained helmsman Steve Benjamin. "It was all down wind during the windy part, and we spent the time trying not to slow down," Benjamin continued. BLUE YANKEE's crew sailed a great race, able to come back from disaster each time something on the boat failed. During separate occasions on the run up the coast, the spinnaker pole track blew off the mast, digging the bow into a wave caused the forward hatch to blow off the bow, and a clew blew off the spinnaker. "We've been calling boat captain Peter Pendelton 'MacGuyver' for fixing all of it," Benjamin joked. The crew had no knowledge of the dismastings of George Collin's CHESSIE RACING (Gibson Island, MD) or Robert McNeill's ZEPHYRUS (San Francisco, CA). According to Benjamin, BLUE YANKEE's strategy had been to sail fast, stay in the current and stay west of the weather system and in the best wind. The crew experienced severe seas south of Cape Hatteras. The Key West to Baltimore Race for the Hemingway Trophy began Sunday March 23rd off the waters of Key West, Florida. Seven boats started, BLUE YANKEE has finished and four continue to race. More details and Estimated Arrival times for those boats in a later release. -- Amy Gross-Kehoe DNF Chessie crew member Tom Weaver called in to report that the boat arrived in Morehead City at about 0430 today (Wenesday). The boat has been secured, and crew are driving back to Annapolis - next waypoint McGarvey's pub, ETA 2200 hours. Sounds like it was a wild ride prior to the rig failure. They were within two miles of Zephyrus, running downwind in about 35 knots of wind when it fell over, going 18-20 knots through the water under main only. The crew had just taken the spinnaker down, and were getting ready to reef the main and hoist the blast reacher when the mast came tumbling down. The break was just above the top of the spinnaker pole track. Zephyrus lost their rig about ten minutes later. They had just completed a sail change to their blast reacher. Unfortunately, their rig went through the deck into the head sink and "just ripped up the inside of the boat" as it tipped over, according to Weaver. No injuries were reported on either boat. Chessie had logged a 391 mile 24 hour run the day before, and were "locked and loaded" and having fun - with a top boat speed of 26.5 knots recorded. The rest of the fleet still has to get around Cape Hatteras - and Weaver noted that the wind was shifting to a northerly direction and getting colder and windier as they pulled into port. -- Renee Mehl ABOARD CHESSIE (Following is a but a brief 'taste' of Terry Hutchinson's first person report of the Key West to Baltimore Race from aboard Chessie.) 6 a.m. Tuesday: Throughout the next six hours I experienced some pretty cool sailing! The highlight came when we hit 24.5 knots with a full mainsail and a blast reacher going down a wave about 12 to 15 feet. The second highlight was at the end of our watch. Mike Howard was steering Chessie to an incredible 25.5 knots with the fractional kite. The plane lasted for about 20 seconds. Words can't describe the rush you feel when the boat goes this fast! The upside for the watch, we gained on Zephyrus. The downside, we weren't achieving our goal of beating the front to Diamond Shoals. At some point Tuesday the wind was going to increase to 40 knots and shift to the north. Chessie was going to have to go upwind in some heinous conditions. Mike T., Tom and Talpi came up for the second watch of the day. At this point the wind was blowing a steady 28 to 30 knots and we were nearing the point of throttling back. After about a half-hour of sailing Mike called for the spinnaker to come down. It was getting too rough to push and we needed to consider our next move as we decided to conserve the boat and equipment for what lay ahead. Little did we know that through the discussion of what sail to put up and how to go about reefing, the mast had decided that it was done! In an instant Chessie's race ended with a loud crack as the rig broke and crashed into the water. Jonathan and I were packing the spinnaker and in an instant we knew exactly what happened. It was really a sickening feeling considering how well Team Chessie was sailing. This was a first for me. I had never been aboard a boat that the rig broke. From the moment I got up on deck the immediate and very real danger was the rig punching a hole in the hull. You could feel the mast and spreaders slamming against Chessie as it bobbed up and down in waves. Not good! Mike did a good job of getting the boat positioned so that the rig was now on the windward side of the boat. Instantly, the team went to work. In a quick and professional manner boat captain Rick Deppe tended to the rod rigging and proceeded to cut the rig away. Bill, Greg, Jonathan, Stu, Talpi, and Tom cut all the lines and any attachments above deck. Within 20 minutes the rig was gone and the Chessie crew proceeded to clear all lines from being fouled in the propeller. -- Terry Hutchinson, Quokka Website For Hutchinson's full report: http://sailing.quokka.com/expert/QCMa4sail_s_hutchinson5_WFC.html MAINSAIL TRIM (Sailmaker of Pete Colby' has a well-written discussion about mainsail trim on the SailNet website. Here's a brief excerpt from his two-part story.) There are many times when a boat isn't up to speed. This can occur in light air; or when you sail into a hole, or through bad air, or when you hit a set of waves. It can also happen at the start when you are jockeying for position on the line, or after a tack, or rounding a leeward mark. Anytime the boat is going slow, you are giving up both speed and pointing ability-what we generally refer to as height. You might hear the helmsman or driver say that the helm feels sticky, or sluggish. What do you do? You need to figure out how to get the flow over the sail to accelerate, which is often referred to as "powering up." Accelerated flow essentially increases the driving force that is associated with lift. To achieve this we need to increase the angle of attack and change the trim to create a lift-promoting shape in the mainsail. When the boat feels sticky, or slow, and your height is off relative to the fleet, ask yourself the following questions: How is the mainsail's angle of attack to the wind? - Is the traveler pulled up so that the boom is on centerline? (The higher the traveler the higher the angle of attack, but be careful not to pull it too high because that will make the angle too great and cause the sail to stall.) - Is the main sheet pulled in enough? The sheet pulls the leech in and adds shape to the sail. The added shape and change in leech position also increase the angle of attack. And like the traveler, you have to be careful not to overdo it with the mainsheet. Easing the sheet will increase the depth at the top of the sail and promote stalling. It may also overly increase the angle of attack relative to the rest of the sail. Remember, the breeze higher up in the sail is moving faster and at an angle farther forward. The telltales on the leech can help you determine the correct sheet tension. The appropriate shape will allow air to flow across the main, accelerating as it goes, and streaming off the leech, which should make the telltales fly directly aft. If they are not streaming aft, but are curling around the leech, then you have too much sheet tension, and the sail is stalling. Is the overall shape of the main a lift-promoting shape? - Is the shape uniform and deep enough to accelerate the flow? If the main looks flat and the draft is too far forward, ease the backstay a little. You can also ease the outhaul so the bottom of the sail has a slightly rounded curvature. - Is the leech too flat overall, depowering the sail? Try easing the cunningham and halyard. As you make each new adjustment to the sail, wait a moment to feel its effect. And ask the driver how the boat feels after the adjustment. Also, any time you make an adjustment, do it as smoothly as possible. Abrupt changes can shake any existing flow off the sail and that exacerbates the situation. Full story: http://www.sailnet.com/collections/racing/index.cfm?articleid=colbyp002 LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net) 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 Peter O. Allen, Sr. USSA Club Race Officer, Genesee Yacht Club - Newport Yacht Club Rochester, New York -- As a principal race officer for various regattas on Lake Ontario, I am horrified by the tales of boats damaged and then gone-missing, as told in the last two issues of the 'Butt. I routinely instruct all race personnel to keep a physical count of all the boats on the course. In big fleets that's hard, especially in heavy seas. And while this is sometimes challenging, it is vital. Two years ago an alert safety boat kept one competitor from drifting to Canada during the Empire State Games, when his Laser suffered multiple problems in very heavy winds and seas. In ocean sailing, I wonder if carrying a pack of SOLAS-approved parachute flares might not be indicated. Certainly sponsoring organizations might look at such a requirement in their equipment list. The moaning of the competitors notwithstanding, I think our sport might benefit from this. Compared to the cost of a major search and rescue operation, or worse, the loss of life, a pack of SOLAS flares is cheap. -- From Ian Venner(re Adrift Down Under) -- This article raises a great deal of concern. For 10 years, I have been involved in the provision of safety boat cover to dinghy & cruiser racing events, and more recently I am part of an official maritime rescue resource in my area. For these sailors to have put to sea without, it appears, any means of attracting assistance in the event of such an incident as occurred borders on negligence as well as rank stupidity. How difficult would it have been to carry personal flares or even parachute flares when training? What difference would a waterproof handheld VHF radio have made to a boats performance? Did they not give an expected time of return to anybody - were they not noticed overdue? I appreciate that I have not read the full story, but for Scuttlebutt to carry the excerpt as it did is, IMHO, somewhat irresponsible. I very much get the impression that they are heros for having survived 24 hours - not buttheads (small "b") for not being able to initiate a rescue themselves by attracting attention. Unfortunate accidents do happen - please, please help the rescue services to help you when they do. Remember - it is easier to search in daylight, and survival probability decreases over time. My suggestions above are not gospel, and will not guarantee anything, but are generally accepted "seamanship" - methinks a oft-forgotten skill nowadays. The follow-on story in 'Butt #557 only serves to further this impression. -- From Bill Menninger (edited to our 250-word limit) -- TransPac is still the best race to Hawaii! The Transpac board has done an excellent job rating a variety of boats and putting a ceiling on the sled class, thereby creating an unparalleled One Design Ocean Race to Hawaii. Times are changing with IMS and the demise of the IOR. To make it more difficult, IMS has never quite made an impact on the West Coast, so we have a combination of one measurement rule (IMS) and a subjective rule (PHRF), making it nearly impossible for the board to come up with tight rating bands for close racing. Maybe this does justify doing away with a ceiling for the rating, but given enough time with a consistent limit on the ratings, we might just create a real race for the First to Finish trophy (not just 2 or three boats) The Barn Door should remain the First to Finish in my opinion, but I like the idea of a close race to make this trophy a deserved accomplishment. Maybe Pac Cup should consider working with Transpac to accomplish a limit that would encourage future boats be built to win the Barn Door. I just don't get too excited about discarding the limits for Class A. The thought of a substantially faster boat winning the race with the crew not working particularly hard to do so...is not very enticing. With a fast enough boat, the navigator could even be on the wrong side of the course and still win the race. -- From John Berry -- Some of us on the SoCal PHRF board believe that the effort to eliminate the handicap differential for carrying BOTH ayso's and sym's is being led by a small group that would gain significantly by this change. I too want to see that PHRF remain in the forefront of sailing. The fact remains that if someone wants to change their inventory over to ayso's only they will not incur any penalty. This penalty only applies to boat's who carry both types of sails. If this proposed amendment takes effect, it will indeed put the majority of the "general population" PHRF racers at a distinct disadvantage. Unless of course, they can afford to go out and buy a lot more sails. -- From Andy Besheer -- Bill Keith's comment in 'Butt 557 caused me to stop and think for a few minutes. His point is that in some situations a symmetric chute is more effective and in others an asymmetric. Therefore, a boat carrying both has an advantage vs. a boat with only one and should be penalized 3-6 seconds. This is interesting because, while I currently only carry symmetric chutes on my X-99, I carry a Light #1 genoa, an AP #1, a Heavy #1 (#2) and a #3. Each of these sails is most effective in a very specific wind/wave condition range and certainly gives me an advantage over a yacht carrying only one or two headsails. If we don't penalize carrying appropriate sails for a range of conditions and circumstances upwind, I'm not sure I understand the logic in penalizing a yacht carrying sails for varying circumstances off the wind? -- From Christian Fevrier (re David Munge's comments about the crew work to leeward aboard Team Phillips) -- Another subject of concern is the very short crew: six people. For sure, the rig concept needs much less crew work than with the cutter rigged cats and tris. However, if you think that two crew are resting,the four remaining have in charge the navigation, the communications with the shore base, race committee, PR, sponsors,etc. Even with a Marine formation, cooking needs also some time.. So, the watch crew will be often limited to two persons. Is it enough ? Chasing the weight drastically can pay. But does this short crew will have enough sleep during two weeks of bad weather ? When you are exhausted on these fast sailing machines, you are less in control of the boat. In that red zone, you can make steering mistakes. Gilles Ollier, the designer of the three 32 meter long catamarans, has refused to work with some potential clients who didn't accepted the 15 crew demanded by the French designer. -- From Malcolm McKeag (re the Auld Mug terminology) -- The Auld Mug: Sir Thomas Lipton. He was an Ulster-born grocer who never lost his Ulster (please - not Irish) accent. 'Auld' (meaning old) is an affectionate term of mild disparagement in the Ulster vernacular (as in 'get away on with you, you aul' fool). It is not normally pronounced with the final 'd.' INDUSTRY NEWS Expanding on the remarkable success of the CBTF 40 Red Hornet and it's production sister - the Schock 40, DynaYacht has introduced a new CBTF 52. Fitted out with a luxurious interior, the CBTF 52 obtains its supercharged performance from DynaYacht's innovative Canting Ballast Twin Foil Technology (CBTF). DynaYacht has over 14 years of experience refining its patented canting ballast twin foil system. -- http://www.dynayacht.com ANTIGUA SAILING WEEK As of April 20, 2000 the number of confirmed entries to Antigua Sailing Week was 228 yachts. This is about 10% ahead of 1999 entries at the same time prior to last years event Traditionally many competitors from Antigua and nearby Caribbean islands do not enter their yachts until the last week prior to the first race. ASW 2000 will see the return "Sayonara" - one of the top racing yachts on the world circuit. Also returning this year will be Legacy, Encore, Bristolian and many others who have made ASW a standard event on their calendars. It is important to note that Legacy from Trinidad now clearly holds the record for most consecutive entries as they have raced in more than 20 Sailing Weeks. Event website: http://www.sailingweek.com/ SOCIAL NOTES Warwick M. (Commodore/Ranzo) Tompkins, Jr. and his long time girlfriend Nancy L. Potter were spliced by an obliging cleric just moments before FLASHGIRL, their Wylie 39 (modified) was splashed at the KKMI yard in Richmond, CA. A crowd of over a hundred friends witnessed the surprising turn of events. Included in the mob were Ron Holland, Skip Allan, Tom Wylie, 95 year old Myron Spaulding, Derick Bayliss, Chan Chrisman and 97 year old Albert Harrison, who was the cook aboard WMT, Sr.'s WANDER BIRD. GOING, GOING, GOING Today is the last day to file entries at a $50 discount for the Yachting Cup, which opens the second Volvo Inshore Championships series for Southern California's more serious keelboat racers. Fees filed in the final week will be $50 higher. The event will be based at the San Diego Yacht Club May 6-7, following the prelude Leukemia Cup twilight race on Friday, May 5. Fees may be paid by phone with a credit card and the entry forms are available on the Internet: http://www.sdyc.org/raceinfo/ycindex.htm AMERICAONE The China Sea Race is a 580-nautical mile race from Clearwater Bay, Hong Kong to Subic Bay, Philippines. A fleet of 35 boats began the race on April 15, 2000 in 15 knots of wind. Beau Geste, skippered by AmericaOne Helmsman Gavin Brady, led the fleet over the starting line and endured heavy seas with winds reaching 30+ knots during the 47h 47m 11s of racing. The AmericaOne Team crossed the finish line in the Philippines breaking the record set in 1996 by 28h 36m. AmericaOne team members Gavin Brady, James Baxter, Sean Clarkson, Peter Thomas, Morgan Trubovich, Pieter van Nieuwehuyzen and Young America_s Jamie Gale crewed on Beau Geste, a Whitbread 60, owned by Karl Kwok. -- Jennifer McHugh OUTTA HERE (AGAIN) The curmudgeon is off to Newport Beach to sail in the Ensenada Race aboard Jim Madden's J/160 Stark Raving Mad. The plan is to get back in plenty of time to issue a copy of Scuttlebutt on Monday. But as you know sometimes plans change. BTW -- Pacific Sail Expo was great fun. It's much more than a boat show -- it was a real 'gathering of the eagles.' THE CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM If the 7-11 store is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors? |
