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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 771 - March 13, 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 and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome. ADMIRAL'S CUP Committee Chairman Ken Morrison said "This is an unfortunate situation, especially since we had such a spirited competition for qualifying the Farr 40 One Design position on the team." Philippe Kahn's 'Pegasus' qualified for that position in a close-fought battle with Jim Richardson's 'Barking Mad' and four other contenders in two sets of regatta trials, one in Miami in early December and another in January's Yachting Key West Race Week. "Our biggest problem was in pulling together the interest and complete funding to support both the IC 45 and Sydney 40 efforts," said Morrison. Currently there are no boats of these classes racing in the US, necessitating expensive and complicated foreign-based charter arrangements. "Even after examining every viable option, we were still unable to make the arrangements necessary to have a solid and well-organized effort. If the RORC had retained the IMS 50 rating band as they originally announced in November 1999 instead of substituting the IC 45, the United States would probably have been successful in fielding a team this year." The US Sailing Offshore Teams, Offshore One-Design& Level Classes Committee will continue to analyze other international offshore team events that may attract owners from the United States. For more information on the US team, please address any questions to Ken Morrison, Chair of US Sailing Offshore Teams, Offshore One-Design and Level Classes Committee at Fax 808-946-9179 or E-mail KLMorrison@compuserve.com. ELLEN MACARTHUR She has been asked by Alain Gautier, former Vendee Globe winner (1992/3), who was also part of the Kingfisher Design Team, to compete with him onboard 'Foncia' his state-of-the-art 60 foot trimaran. The season kicks off on May 13 with a gruelling 8 or 9 day non-stop race from Cherbourg to a port on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Then its on to a series of 5 Grand Prix events - four day intense fully crewed races in sight of land and spectators - and will culminate in the big event of the year the Transat Jacques Vabre. This race is 2-up, 4500 miles of high stress racing from Le Havre in northern France across the Atlantic and south to Brazil at incredible speeds. "I cannot think of a better way enter this circuit than with Alain, who played a key role in the success of the VendŽe Globe campaign," MacArthur said. "I'm very happy at the same time to have the chance to race 'Kingfisher' the monohull during the year as well - with a crew - pushing her to new limits, which I know she'll enjoy! Another full year. I'm looking forward to it, I think I've been on land too long already." During the year, Ellen will also compete onboard 'Kingfisher' the monohull in 2 Grand Prix events (inshore, intense 4 to 5 days of racing), as well as provisionally the mammoth EDS Atlantic Challenge event and some record attempts in European waters. Nick Moloney, highly experienced Volvo (Whitbread), America's Cup, and multihull sailor (Playstation for The Race), will co-skipper 'Kingfisher' throughout the year. Listen to Ellen direct: http://www.kingfisherchallenges.com EASIER SAIL HANDLING BT GLOBAL CHALLENGE Charles Smith, 31, from East Sheen, has sustained a fractured left femur, and a compound fracture of one ankle and a dislocation of the other. Robert Brooke, 61, from Surrey, has had the top of a finger on his left hand sliced off and has broken a finger on his right hand. Both crew volunteers are being attended to by qualified on-board medic Stephen Fillery. The pair were being given oral fluids and VERITAS was expected to reach Eden at midnight GMT (11am local time) where they are both going to be taken off and transferred to hospital. According to racing rules, the yacht can still compete with a crew of 16. The force of the wave has washed the communications dome from the yacht as well as damaging three stanchions. The damage, however, has not impacted on the yacht's safety and the Sat C and Mobiq systems are still intact enabling the yacht to navigate with the GPS system and remain in contact with Race HQ. All other crew members are reported to be in good health. - http://www.btchallenge.com/BTGde____frontpage_WFC.html LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON leweck@earthlink.net * From: Malcolm McKeag 100527.3303@compuserve.com Interesting to read that Ellen Macarthur was disappointed with the editing by the BBC of the video, notwithstanding the hasty hike up the schedules. There was indeed far too much weeping in frustration - boredom with yet another shot of Ellen crying turned to frustration, then anger, at the patronisng way in which the Beeb editors could apparently see no further than little-woman-all-alone. There was no attempt to understand what the race is, thus no reflection of Ellen's mastery of so enormous a project. Barely a mention of the huge portfolio of technical skills which Ellen has acquired and mastered in so short a space of time. Little or no acknowledgement - not so much as a name-check - of the designers and support crew other than Mark (Turner). And worst of all, barely a hint of that lyrical joy in life and seafaring that came across almost every day in Ellen's wonderful emails to us all. Ellen and viewers alike were short-changed. Hopefully, someone will put together a less tabloid version of the story. * From: "Roger Marshall" rmarshall26@home.com Unfortunately, rule makers do not have the luxury of spending weeks or months finding loopholes in rating rules, They meet two or three times a year and must be reactive, rather than proactive, consequently obsolescence is built into any rating system unless the process of rating boats is kept totally secret. However, keeping rating systems secret can lead to imagined slights and perceived errors and the secrecy itself often becomes the target of vilification. * From: "Tom Willson" twillson@salmonjack.com The masses will never understand sailing because it is too difficult to understand and trying to get them to understand it is a waste of time. Those who feel they need more fame from sailing have likely lost touch with the values that brought them to the sport in the first place. Windsurfing has all the speed and much of the violence (save collisions) as mainstream sports. Loops off twenty foot ramps still it left the public behind. And windsurfing is about as straight-line simple as sailing gets, from a viewers perspective. Surfing, a close cousin, has a tour in which the surfers often have to endure lousy conditions, since Mom Nature can't read the schedule. The happiest in their sport thrive outside the limelight of competition, improving their skills in the best conditions. Somehow, the photographers always know where to find them. * From: "Thomas George" tgeorge20@hotmail.com I think this forum should be used to maximize the ideas we have inside the sailing community to bring people into the sailing world. How about some brilliant minds concocting a plan for dual weekend golf/sailing challenges, somewhat like the sail/ski stuff that gets done? I am sure that we could spend lots of time arguing about handicaps in both sports! * From: Don Durant ddurant@clubnautique.net The bigger question is, why do we care about having sailing on TV? If it's because we already understand what we're watching and want to root for our team (Olympics, America's Cup, etc.), it makes sense. But why would we want to change sailing for the sake of a bigger audience? As for elitism, it's a false charge. One doesn't need a boat to go sailing. There are Community Sailing Programs and commercial sailing clubs nationwide which offer training and boats for rent for far less than the cost of a round of golf. There are plenty of sailboats which can be had for less than a set of clubs. And God knows yacht club membership (while unnecessary) is cheaper than country club membership. Elitism is a perception, not a reality. We need only get the word out. * From: Mark Baxter mark@nmo.northsails.com After reading accounts of both trips, there is little doubt in my mind which crew had the more comfortable trip, although both had their share of challenges. It just goes to show that the oceans of the world are tough competitors regardless of the equipment you choose to challenge them. * From: "Mike Schoettle, VP - US Sailing" schoettle@home.com Please know that we at US SAILING encourage thoughts, ideas, comments at any time. Feel free to email your comments, praise, or criticism to US SAILING President Dave Rosekrans at President@ussailing.org or to me. THE RACE POSITIONS - March 13 @ 0500 GMT: Team Adventure, 3003 miles to go; Warta-Polpharma, 4572 miles to go; Team Legato, 6499 miles to go. - http://www.therace.org/asp/accueil.asp VOLVO OCEAN RACE "After two summers of testing in Spain, we decided to base ourselves in a new environment that would provide a different set of conditions," said skipper John Kostecki. "Being based on the East Coast in between the race stopovers of Miami and Baltimore/Annapolis, gives us the opportunity to gain some experience in the Gulf Stream. The Charleston base provides the benefit of an early spring season with enough shore space to meet our needs. We are looking forward to some productive sailing here." The new race boat is now in the final stages of construction at the illbruck plant in Leverkusen where the boat is being built. The boat will be christened in Leverkusen March 31 and then shipped to Charleston in April. The race crew will train with the new boat out of Charleston before crossing the Atlantic in July to England. In the final weeks prior to the race start on September 23, the team will compete in the Fastnet Race and remain based in England. - Jane Eagleson, www.illbruckChallenge.com. EXPERIENCE COUNTS CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS * March 14 : SCORA Americap Seminar, Southwestern YC, 7:30 - 9:30 PM * April 21-22: Pacific Coast High School Championships, Coronado Yacht Club. The top 30 high schools from San Francisco to San Diego and Hawaii. * May 11: Channel Islands Race, Los Angeles YC & Ventura YC. New course from Ventura, around Richardson Rock, south of Pt. Conception and roughly 5 NM Northwest of San Miguel, thence around San Nicholas and finish at the entrance of Los Angeles Harbor - 205 NM * May 19-20 & August 4-5: Butler Cup Match Race Championship, Long Beach YC. An umpired ISAF Grade 4 event in Catalina 37s that provides an avenue for club-level sailors to be ranked on World Match Race ranking list. The Butler Cup champion earns a berth in the Ficker Cup (September 22-23) with the prospect of moving on to the Grade 1 Congressional Cup. LIGHTNING SOUTHERN CIRCUIT QUOTE / UNQUOTE - By Skip Novak, Skipper, Innovation Explorer
I had dinner with Bruno (Peyron) last night and he has more surprises in
store for the future. If the body holds out for a few more years, I will be
there. THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS |
