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SCUTTLEBUTT 2112- June 9, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.STUNNING SUCCESS 'Lectronic Latitude published a special mini-edition of is to celebrate the successful sailing trials of Tom Perkins' astonishing 287-ft yacht Maltese Falcon off the coast of Turkey. It took a lot of money to have the boat built, of course, but it took just as much courage and faith. Who else but a man with a hands-on science background and a lifetime of backing technological innovations would have had the courage to put a unique and untested three-masted rig on a boat that took seven years to complete? Here is an excerpt from the report from Perkins on the first sea-trial: "If we could have ordered wind exactly to our specifications for sailing trials, it could not have been more perfect. In the morning it was a smooth eight knots, gradually building to 16 knots - an offshore breeze with no waves. The boat's performance satisfied our highest hopes and expectations. The Maltese Falcon has written a new page in the history of yachting, as the DynaRig is no longer an experimental concept - we had a day of stunning success! "Everything worked as engineered, and Falcon achieved some remarkable numbers: Hard on the wind in 15.8 knots true, at 38 degrees relative wind angle, we sailed with no fuss or strain at 10.5 knots. On a close reach at 60 degrees relative angle, the speed (still at knots 16 true wind) climbed to 14 knots. The balance was essentially perfect, with weather helm never exceeding 0.6 degrees on the wind, or 2.5 degrees on a fast reach. The angle of heel was around 15 degrees, but in a puff, once touched 20 degrees. The leeway angle was well under 5 degrees without the daggerboard in place. It was our first day out, and we wanted to be careful, so these results were achieved with the topgallants and the royals furled. So we expect even better numbers in further tests. The maximum loading on the masts never much exceeded 50% of our very, very, conservative limit, so, we have plenty of room for some even better results. "There were no untoward effects from the revolutionary rig. The automatic tacking worked smoothly in all wind strengths. Tacking only takes 1.5 minutes, and curiously, she tacks quite readily in light winds - perhaps even easier than in heavier air. This is because the wind force against the rigs, when backed, increases with the square of the wind velocity. Jibing is almost trivial and, to a passenger, virtually undetectable.” -- 'Lectronic Latitude, full report and photos: http://tinyurl.com/zznob BERMUDA RACE UPDATE Next week, look for Scuttlebutt to be airing a podcast weather briefing for the Newport to Bermuda Race with Chris Bedford of Sailing Weather Services, the Official Meteorologist for the 2005-2006 Volvo Ocean Race and the Team Meteorologist for the America's Cup team BMW Oracle Racing. The podcast is likely to air on Thursday, June 15th (look for announcements in the Scuttlebutt newsletter), and the Scuttlebutt Forum is currently seeking any questions that racers or spectators would like for us to ask Chris. Here is the link to post your question (no log-in required): http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2663#2663 Also, thanks to all the participants of the “Tales and Trials” contest, wherein Scuttlebutt asked for the best Bermuda race stories. Congrats to winner Hypotenuse for his/her Cadbury story (was there any question that it would be the winning story?). SORRY . . . Cowes, UK -- The Island Sailing Club has responded quickly to the intense criticism it received following the mass retirements from this year's JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, and ABP has issued an apology for its role in the problems of the starting sequence. Rod Nicholls, Rear Commodore of the Island Sailing Club and Chief Race Officer issued a second statement which explained what had already been done and what was planned, and in which he confirmed that the ISC will be sending retirees their commemorative tankards in a gesture of apology. Importantly, he confirmed that the ISC will seek ways to change the starting sequence in order to avoid a repeat of this year's 75th anniversary race when only 46% of the fleet finished the course. ABP also issued a statement acknowledging their part in allowing shipping movements to cause the postponement of the last start for 25 minutes. Campbell Fleming of sponsors JPMorgan Asset Management also placed a message on the event web site emphasising that the strength of the race comes from its wide participation and encouraging competitors to return again next year. -- Cowes Online, complete story: http://tinyurl.com/z6gbb TRIVIA QUESTION During his second expedition in the "new world" in 1492, what did Christopher Columbus introduce to the Americas? (Answer below) SAVED BY MY GENOA "When the gun went off, the wind jumped from 14 to 21 knots but it was too late to change to our #2. Most of the competition was struggling. After several minutes, we’d moved out on boats near us, enough so we could tack and cover. That UK-Halsey jib’s the most versatile sail in our inventory. I’m very impressed," reported Henderson 35 owner/driver Paul Solomon from Trinidad-Tobago RW. For a different kind of “save,” you and your crew should take a look at our on-line video showing how to perform a Crash Stop MOB recovery: just go to http://www.ukhalsey.com ANOTHER RESHUFFLE In the usual pattern, the Volvo Ocean Race fleet has had yet another reshuffle in the ‘gold’ fleet this evening, and Ericsson is back at the top of the leg leaderboard with ABN Amro One (Mike Sanderson) and Brasil 1 (Torben Grael) just a mile behind. The same has happened to the ‘silver’ fleet. Pirates of the Caribbean (Paul Cayard) now leads Brunel (Matt Humphries) from ABN Amro Two (Sebastien Josse), but the three boats are now detached from the leading pack – the ‘gold’ fleet - by up to 108 nautical miles. “It looks as if the fickle weather pattern has not finished with us yet,” writes Ericsson’s skipper, Neal McDonald. “Even for the last 300 miles it looks like mother nature is going to torment us a few more times before the finish. ABN Amro One (Mike Sanderson) and Brasil 1 (Torben Grael) are in sight, so the battle still rages on,” he added. --http://www.volvooceanrace.org Volvo Ocean Race Positions at 2200 on Thursday: 1. Ericsson Racing Team, Neal McDonald, 268 miles to finish 2. Brasil 1, Torben Grael, +1 mile 2. ABN Amro One, Mike Sanderson, + 1 mile 4. Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard, +88 miles 5. Brunel, Matt Humphries, + 105 miles 6. ABN Amro Two, Sebastien Josse, +108 miles ON THE PIRATE SHIP “The wind has almost never done what the forecast indicated, at least not where we were. It has been a real guessing game to try to figure out what will happen next. As we have four meals left and 400 miles to go, we have rationed the food to one meal for every hundred miles. At this speed, we don't eat often. It is slim pickens for us from now until the finish, whenever that will be. We are also low on diesel to run the generator and to make electricity so we have to conserve on things that consume power like the computer screens, keel canting, etc.” -- Paul Cayard, Pirates of the Caribbean skipper VIDEO OF THE WEEK Thanks to Manfred Schreiber for sending in this week's video, which does a great job of depicting the excitement of Olympic sailing. Beginning with the roar of the stadium crowd from the 2004 Athens Olympics opening ceremonies, the filming then heads toward the water during the Olympic regatta, and with a medal music background, it is hard not to get pumped up. If you have a video you like, please send us your suggestions for next week’s Video of the Week. Click here for the video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/#media CODE ORANGE Bruno Peyron, the skipper of the Orange II maxi-catamaran, has moved to "Orange Code,” which means that the crew of the giant may set sail in the next few days on their attempt at the North Atlantic crossing record, between New York (USA) and The Lizard (GB). According to the conditions that have been observed in the area by the shore-based weather team, a window of opportunity looks like appearing around New York, which could allow them to start sometime between Wednesday 14th June at 20h and Thursday 15th June at 13h. The Atlantic record has been held since October 2001 by the American yachtsman Steve Fossett, on board his maxi-catamaran PlayStation, with a time of 4 days, 17 hours, 28 mins and 06 secs. -- http:// www.orange-sailing-team.com SAILING SHORTS * Seven races have now been sailed at the 49er World Championships the Lac du Bourget at the foot of the Alps. Friday the finals will start at nine o’clock with 25 boats in the gold fleet, 33 boats the silver fleet and 34 in the bronze fleet. The top North American Boats are: 8. Dalton Bergan/ Zack Maxam, 20 pts; 12. Morgan Larson/ Peter Spaulding, 25 pts; 18. Tim Wadlow/ Chris Rast, 30 pts. -- http://www.cnva.com/world49er/index.php?page=resultats&lang=en * Those with access to ESPNU will be able to see video of the Gill National College Sailing Championship this weekend. From 161 eligible schools, 18 earned the right to compete. The regatta takes place on the Cooper River as the College of Charleston hosts the visiting teams. The racing is tight and the championship is decided on the last beat of the final race for B Division. Airdates on ESPNU: Saturday, June 10 at 12:00pm et; Sunday, June 11 at 5:00pm et; Monday, June 19 at 12:00pm et; Thursday, June 22 at 6:00pm et; Thursday, June 19 at 12:00pm et. * Olivier de Kersauson’s trimaran Geronimo is 750 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge on their attempt to set a new trans-Pacific record from Yokohama to San Francisco. At present the giant CapGemini and Schneider Electric is battling light air. “This Pacific crossing has been like a long tunnel of mist and rain. It’s unsettled and the forecasts are changing all the time,” said de Kersauson who hopes to finish by Saturday. -- http://www.superyachting.com * The first day of racing in the Roberto Trombini Challenge Trophy was sailed in a cold and stable 8 knots wind inside the Marina di Ravenna harbour. The standings of this Italian ISAF Grade 1 match racing event are: Chris Dickson (NZL) 6-1 ; Paolo Cian (ITA) 5-1 ; Mathieu Richard (FRA) 5-1 ; Bjorn Hansen (SWE) 4-2 ; Matteo Simoncelli (ITA) 4-3 ; Lars Norbjaerg (DEN) 4-3 ; Damien Iehl (FRA) 3-4 ; Martin Angsell (SWE) 2-4 ; Peter Wibroe (DEN) 2-4 ; Simon Minoprio (NZL) 2-5 ; Tino Ellegast (GER) 1-6 ; Andrew Arbuzov (RUS) 1-6. -- http://www.matchracetrombini.com * There are 184 boats competing in the Finn World master Championship right now. As near as we could tell, Louie Ákos Nady is the only North American who traveled to Balatonfüred / Lake Balaton / Hungary for the event. He is presently #33 in the standings. -- http://www.finnworldmasters.com/ TRIVIA ANSWER In 1492, Christopher Columbus introduced the Americas to sugar cane. In Barbados, hundreds of plantations and mills crushed the harvested cane and boiled the juice to form sugar crystals, with the leftover juice forming molasses. Eventually, plantation owners discovered that when molasses is mixed with water and put out in the sun, it ferments into a spirit. In the mid-1600s, the former “waste” product of sugar production became the new drink of choice. Rum was born! (thanks to the Mount Gay rum website for providing the information: http://www.mountgayrum.com) IT ISN’T OVER TILL IT’S OVER! Ockam Instruments would like to congratulate Colin Rath and the crew of Googleplex, IRC overall winners & Ron Weiss and the crew Crazy Horse, PHRF overall winners in the Storm Trysail Club’s 2006 Block Island Race. Kudos also to the crews aboard Rima and Chris Dragon for winning their respective classes. What do these winning yachts have in common? Ockam Instruments’ superior processing and display technology for that distinct competitive advantage. Not just for America’s Cup and Grand Prix racing yachts. At Ockam, we have race winning solutions for everyone. Contact mailto:lat@ockam.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. You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. And please save your bashing, and personal attacks for elsewhere. For those that prefer a Forum, you can post your thought at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From Garry Hoyt: A number of years ago I made some written suggestions for enlivening the AC competition. These were routinely ignored, but passing time has added to their validity. This is the plan. 1. Schedule a total of 7 race days, with 5 short races planned for each day. The winner to be determined by the highest score of races won. 2. The first race each day would be an 8 mile windward leg, with a mid course gate to force proximity. 3. The finish line for the first windward race becomes the starting line for the second race, which would be an 8 mile downwind leg, starting 10 minutes after the finish of the first race. Again a mid course gate would be employed and downwind starts would require a whole new strategy, with high risk and reward. 4. The 3rd daily race would be to windward, the 4th race to leeward and the 5th race would be triangular in order to introduce a test of reaching speed—a vital facet of sailing ignored by the current format. 5. Thus the 7 day series would involve a total of 35 races—14 upwind, 14 downwind and 7 triangular. In terms of TV appeal, viewers can tune in at any time and be guaranteed a continuous flow of action, along with compressed review of earlier races. To maintain interest to the end, bonus points would be awarded for the last day’s results. The greater number of starts would multiply this factor of highest interest, and the increased number of scored races would lead to the higher interest of bigger scores. In my view, this changing of the format is a better way to build interest than changing the boats—but I agree that boats of a higher performance level are desirable. * From Cliff Bradford: While I'd love to see the AC done in Multis or anything faster than the boats currently used, I disagree with the implication of several of your posters that the boats would be cheaper. As long as so much is at stake people will put in money to pay the best people, do the most R&D and use the most hi tech materials. The AC has always been expensive whether its been in Js, 12s, or IACC boats or whether they've been built of wood, aluminum or composites; switching to multis would not change that. * From Richard Little: If America's highest net worth consumers think the America’s Cup is one of the three most prestigious global sporting events (as reported in ‘Butt 2110), it sounds like the event is not “broken” -- which hopefully will discourage some of your readers from suggesting ways to “fix it.” * From Bob Merrick: The notion that catamarans are non-tactical dragsters is simply false. It’s true that in fast boats the tactics are shifted more towards connecting the puffs and less towards wind shifts. That however does not make them simply dragsters. It also does not render wind shifts insignificant. Add to that the fact that catamarans jibe at angles much higher than any keelboat making them significantly more tactical on downwind legs. There is more to the tactics of sailing than ticki tacking with the compass. There are so many blatantly false claims circulating against racing catamarans that it makes me wonder if the people making these statements have ever actually raced a multihull. As sailors you all owe yourselves at least one good catamaran regatta before you die. If you don’t like it that’s fine but don’t wait too long to try it. If you like it you’ll want to have some time left to enjoy a bit more. * From Hugh Elliot: I wonder why - other than for the lure of speed - people would sail a boat that is more stable upside down than rightside up? Aren't multi-hulls (and canting keel monohulls) inherently unseaworthy? Perhaps there is a good reason why the Sailor's Prayer begins: "O God, your sea is so big and my boat is so small." * From Peter Huston: R. C. Keefe brings forward a very interesting point about the changing lexicon within sailing. Why is it that some print publications persists in calling a yacht that races a "Raceboat"? What exactly is a "raceboat"? A boat with crew comprised of various international heritage? What's the cruising equivalent, "Cruiseboat"? I presume "raceboat" is shorthand for "racing boat" - and perhaps derived from the lower end of motorsports, where it's always the "Chevy Taco Bell race car run real good for ol' Billy Bob" today". What is so objectionable about the use of the words "racing yacht" that we must yet further, and too often, debase the value of a great game by using a lower common denominator description? As the lead article in 'butt 2111 suggests, the best currency for our game is the appeal we have to a very upscale audience. Will the continued use of the word "raceboat" help the sport capitalize on this attraction? * From Ben Jarashow (re ‘Calling Tactics’): Paraphrased from Miram-Webster Online Dictionary: Call (v); intransitive senses 1b: to make a request or demand 1f: to give the calls for a square dance transitive senses 1f: (1): to give the order for : bring into action signals or orders 1j: to rule on the status of (as a pitched ball or a player's action) 1k: to give the calls for (a square dance) In all of these cases, as in the case of ‘Calling Tactics’ on a boat during a sailboat race, the verb ‘to call’ is correctly used to describe the action of a person in charge, and in the act of making a decision and communicating it to subordinates, teammates, or others engaged in an activity. So, when John Smith calls tactics on a boat, he does so with grammatical correctness, as far as I can tell. * From Edward Trevelyan: I have to agree with Bill Munster that performing a quick stop and return aboard a fast moving maxi (at night, with the chute up, high wind, big waves, etc..) is an another accident-waiting-to-happen unless it has been well-rehearsed. The whole exercise hinges upon finding a way to "lose" the spinnaker before it becomes plastered against the rig or wrapped around the keel. Bill also raises the important issue involving the "kind of boat." Extremely light weight, low freeboard, canting keel boats, such as the Volvo 70s, seem to regularly take green water at high speeds, exposing everyone (not just foredeck crew) to the risk of MOB. While it's easier to fall back on the "it won't happen to me" disclaimer, offshore crews on high-performance boats need to be prepared to spend time in the water. New thought should be given to the use of safety harnesses, floatation devices, and lower-bulk clothing, as well as the trade-offs between these things and on-board mobility. * From Willii Gohl, Int Judge, GER: Nicole, open hearings are no problem, in case the organizer will present a sufficient place to the protest committee to do so. ISAF enforces all juries to do so, just for the same reason you claim! As a sailor it is very simple to attend a hearing: ask the chairman of the protest committee and I am sure he will welcome you. Of course, there is one requirement for all visitors: no noise, no comments, no signs, "no nothing", only listening during the hearing! CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATIONS “Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.” -- Douglas Casey Special thanks to UK-Halsey Sailmakers and Ockam Instruments. |
