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SCUTTLEBUTT 1868 - June 27, 2005Scuttlebutt 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. AND THE WINNER IS . . . They appeared to have won the regatta on the water, but Victory Challenge had to wait until a Jury decision was issued several hours after racing concluded to learn that they had been disqualified from the fourth race. The next boat on the leaderboard, Luna Rossa Challenge, had sailed a strong, consistent regatta, and they become the winners of Act 5. "I don't have a preference for match racing or fleet racing," Luna Rossa skipper Francesco de Angelis told the crowd at the prize-giving ceremony. "My only preference is for winning!" It was a heartbreaking set back for Victory Challenge, who impressed all observers with their strong performance in both Valencia Louis Vuitton Acts, but particularly in Act 5. The protest was a technical one, after the Measurer found an unusual amount of water in the bilge of SWE 63 during a routine inspection after the fourth race. This set in motion a chain of events that saw the Race Committee obliged to protest the Swedes for the infringement of ACC Class Rule 36.12. The Jury, after receiving a report from the Measurement Committee detailing the rule infringement in the protest hearing, was left with no recourse but to disqualify Victory Challenge from the race. The results leave Luna Rossa Challenge and Alinghi on equal points at the top of the table, but the Italians win the tie-break by virtue of having the best result in an individual race (a win in race four). Victory Challenge tumbles from first to sixth with the disqualification. - http://www.americascup.com/en/ 1. Luna Rossa Challenge (2, 6, 6, 1, 4) 46 2. Alinghi (3, 7, 2, 2, 5) 46 3. Emirates Team New Zealand (1, 9, 1, 5, 6) 43 4. BMW Oracle Racing (5, 5, 3, 3, 10) 39 5. Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team (12, 1, 5, 7, 2) 38 6. Victory Challenge (4, 2, 7, DSQ, 3) 36 7. K-Challenge (7, 4, 4, 6, 9) 35 8. Desafío Español 2007 (8, 8, 9, 8, 1) 31 9. +39 Challenge (10, 3, 10, 9, 7) 26 10.United Internet Team Germany (6, 11, 8, 4, 11) 25 11. China Team (11,12,12,10,8) 12 12. Team Shosholoza (9, 10, 11, 11,12) 12 THE ROOM The Swedish Victory Challenge has been disqualified from yesterday's (Saturday's) second race and loses 12 points. The outcome drops them from first to sixth, a disaster for the team that has impressed in both of the Acts. The measurement committee found that, 'the compartments in question on SWE63 are not fitted with limber holes, nor at the time of inspection were they sealed.' The statement goes on to say that, 'As such these compartments, as found, were not in compliance with the second sentence of rule 36.12.' All of which begs the question as to whether the boat actually measures under the new rule. Having said that, there are plenty who were standing up for the Swedes, not least Jesper Bank, the team's previous skipper in the last Cup. "I know the guys well enough that they would never even consider doing anything that infringes the rules,' he said shortly after hearing the news. "So I think they've been caught with their pants down here on an unlucky day." - Matthew Sheahan, Yachting World website, full story: http://tinyurl.com/7afnt TRANSPAC PREVIEW - Rich Roberts The handicap ratings are in and the starting lineups are set for the Centennial Transpacific Yacht Race. Thirty-five of the 75 entries---14 Cal 40s, the smaller boats in Racing Division V and Aloha classes A and B - will lead off the series of staggered starts on July 11, followed by 20 Division III and IV racers on July 15 and the 20 fastest raters on Sunday, July 17. The largest boat is Randall Pittman's Dubois 90, Genuine Risk, although Hasso Plattner's maxZ86, Morning Glory, is the scratch boat by one-hundredths of a second per mile for the 2,300-mile rating distance. The smallest but third fastest in Division III is The Cone of Silence, Jamie and Jenny Neil's Reichel/Pugh 32 from Australia. It may also be the least comfortable entry. The most comfortable will certainly be James Warmington's Shanakee II, a Pedrick 75 with hot water, interior air conditioning, big-screen TV and a freezer, among other amenities. The youngest crew hasn't been determined but the oldest is obvious. All six men on Lloyd Sellinger's Cal 40, Bubala, are over 65. The Cal 40 Illusion will have an all-woman crew led by Sally Lindsay Honey as Stan Honey returns to Pyewacket as navigator. The newest boat is Pegasus, the Transpac 52 launched just this month by Philippe Kahn. The oldest is Odyssey, a 58-foot yawl that sailed Transpac in 1939, '55 and '61. The wooden classic is in the Aloha class and returns with a crew counting 53 Transpacs among them, including Scott Abrams, grandson of Clarence MacFarlane, who organized the first race in 1906. The fleet includes three former record holders: Merlin, Ragtime and Skylark, which raced as Pyewacket in 1997. Merlin and Ragtime are sailing their record 13th Transpacs. - www.transpacificyc.org OCKAM 1-2 PUNCH! Ockam Instruments extends congratulations to the crews of Michael Brennan's TP52 Sjambok (1st) and H. L. Devore's J-44 Honahlee (2nd) for their outstanding performance in the Annapolis to Newport Race. What do these very different winning yachts have in common? Ockam Instruments! Both yachts utilize Ockam's superior processing speed and power driven by OckamSoft4 performance software combined with the Matryx graphical display technology for that distinct competitive advantage. Ockam. Not only for Americas Cup and Grand Prix yachts, we have solutions for everyone. Visit http://www.ockam.com or contact mailto:lat@ockam.com GOOD U.S. SHOWING AT KIELER WOCHE The weather Germany's huge Kieler Woche regatta for Olympic classes left something to be desired. There were thunderstorms, rain and some big northerly gusts (Beaufort 5 - 6) on the Kiel Fjord … plus two days of no wind. Nonetheless, US Sailors did very well. Michael Anderson-Mitterling/ David Hughes took the top spot on the podium in the 58-boat men's 470 class, two points ahead of Sven and Kalle Coster (NED). According to US Sailing Team coach, Skip Whyte, Mikee and Dave now join Paul Foerster and Bob Merrick as the only American teams to win Kiel Week. In the 39-boat Star class, George Szabo/ Eric Monroe took the silver medal, just four points behind Mateusz Kusznierewicz/ Dominik Zycki (POL). Russell Coutts finished a very respectable seventh. Paige Railey finished second in the 74-boat women's Laser Radial class - just one point behind the winner Gintare Volungeviciute (LIT). In the women's 470 class, Amanda Clark/ Sarah Mergenthaler finished eighth as Elise Rechichi/ Tessa Parkinson (AUS) dominated the 29-boat class. - http://www.kieler-woche.de/eng/segelsport/startregattas_eng.htm SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT In 'Butt 1867 we carried a report from the Valencia Life Network which exposed how unhappy the Spanish syndicate was with a decision by the umpires - and even suggested the umpires in question should, "… not be in a position to be judging here." Since then Jordi. Lamarca, the Desafío Español 2007 Rules Advisor has issued a statement that says, "Any comments made in response to the incident and consequentially the result it afforded to both Desafío Español 2007 and Victory Challenge, and in particular, comments made in regards to the umpires' decisions of said event were not an official statement representative of the sentiment of Desafío Español 2007 and in fact, were of a private and personal opinion made in the confidence of his personal associates, and in no way represent the official position of Desafío Español 2007. Desafío Español 2007 has complete confidence in the Team of AC Umpires. "Comments made by Jordi Lamarca in regards to the event were made solely over what he personally believed to be a technical error in the decision, and more so, that he realizes that as errors are made in the umpiring of all sports, and that such errors are simply 'part of the game', he personally has the up most confidence in the team of AC Umpires, including those umpires involved in the decision. Jordi Lamarca would like to formally apologize to both the umpires in the match and to the Team of Umpires in general for any ill will or bad sentiment that his comments may have caused." IN SUMMARY . . . * What has emerged is a first division of three challengers, a second division of one or two, and a third division of six. Larry Ellison's BMW Oracle, minus a self-separated Chris Dickson, Pat-rizio Bertelli's restructured Luna Rossa, and a tightly managed Team New Zealand are head and shoulders above the rest. And all were beaten in the match- race phase by Alinghi, using the unused boat from the last cup. Helmsman Peter Holmberg says it would just as easily have wiped out the Kiwi defense. - Stuart Alexander in Valencia, The Independent, full story, http://sport.independent.co.uk/general/story.jsp?story=649603 * "I don't subscribe to the theory that there is a big gap between the top four (AC) syndicates and the rest of the fleet. We had very tough races against Spain, Sweden and K Challenge. The teams further down the rankings have only been going a short time, so there's no surprises there. Give them time. We were weak this time last year. Valencia is shaping as a good venue for the cup. The facilities are coming on stream, bases are being built and the breeze arrives on schedule every day." - Grant Dalton, Emirates Team New Zealand, http://www.emiratesteamnz.com/ * "We came here to learn and I think that we certainly did that; we probably made the most improvements of anyone here. We never felt like we had the boat going entirely right but we definitely feel like we made improvements. We're pleased with ourselves." - Hamish Pepper, Mascalzone Latino- Capitalia strategist and sometime helmsman. http://www.mascalzonelatino.it/home/dettaglio_news.jsp?ID=62 DUBARRY GORE-TEX® BOOTS The original, breathable, waterproof sea boot - and still the best! Tired of boots that don't fit well? Bothered by sweaty, clammy feet? Disappointed with other styles of boots? If you haven't tried a pair of Dubarry boots, take that extra step and see what the fuss is about! http://www.dubarryna.com NEWS BRIEFS * The USA's Pete Melvin has scored an impressive nine point victory over Australia's Glenn Ashby in the 100-boats A-Cat World Championship in France. http://www.mondial-voile-2005.org/Version%20anglaise/cadre2.htm * The final day of Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex was "a real beauty," with south winds building to 18-20 knots by mid-day, putting plenty of muscle behind two races in most classes. The action-packed day was the perfect topper for four previous mostly-sunny days with challenging winds that made the 21st running of this biennial event another memorable one for more than 2000 sailors on 190 boats. The Everett B. Morris Memorial Trophy for Best Overall Performance went to the Farr 40 class winner, Warpath sailed by Steve & Fred Howe, San Diego, California. - Complete results: www.blockislandraceweek.com * Emirates Team New Zealand emerged as the top challenger from Acts 4 & 5 carrying maximum points from the Valencia regattas forward for the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2007. The pre-regattas this year and in 2006 carry points which count forward to the Louis Vuitton Cup, the challengers' elimination series, in 2007. The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup will challenge Alinghi for the America's Cup. Luna Rossa with a third overall in Act four and first in Act 5 is second challenger. As the defender of the America's Cup, Alinghi's results are removed from the reckoning. * A number of impressive superyachts are now berthed along the superyachts pier in Valencia. Coming from all points of the compass, sometimes acting as team hospitality boats, these yachts take their rhythm from the regatta schedule. When the sun is at its zenith, they glide to the race areas, offering the best terraces from which to view the action. The AC website has photos: http://tinyurl.com/98xdm * Every division was closely contested in the Rolex Swan European Regatta at Cowes, but none more so than in the small boats of Class B. Swan 441 David Rance's Menenes had a very consistent performance of the final day, finishing third in both races to win Class B by four points from Richard Balding's Swan 41 Philippides II. Menenes skipper Pete Newlands lives on the Isle of Wight and knows these waters, and he is a former world champion and Olympic representative, while helmsman Andy Cassell won a gold medal at the Paralympic Games in 1996. Full story & results: www.nautorswan.com * Brasil 1, the first Brazilian boat to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race, the most traditional round-the-world regatta, has been launched into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean today. The boat was christened this Thursday afternoon at the Glória Marina, in Rio de Janeiro. A crane carried the 70-foot yacht (21.5 meters), weighing over 13 tons, to the pier. Ingrid Schmidt Grael, the mother of skipper Torben Grael, served as the boat's godmother and broke a bottle of champagne on the bow, during a ceremony packed with crew members and many official representatives. * SAIC La Jolla's Southerly position continues to pay off as they maintain a 15-mile to lead over a tightly packed Global Challenge fleet. With the fleet now beyond Waypoint Charlie, kites are now flying as the boats head north towards the La Rochelle, France finish, still some 1700+ miles away. - http://www.globalchallenge2004.com/en/ NORTH SAILS GRAPHICS IS HIRING The leader in sail graphics is seeking an individual with experience in graphic production, plotter cut vinyl, digital printing, design, file set-up, sizing, color matching, etc. Experience and/or education with these tasks and Adobe Illustrator/PhotoShop programs required. Excellent location in the center of San Diego sailing. Email resume/salary requirements: mailto:whitney@graphics.northsails.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 John Hayes: If Americas Cup sponsors have an interest in promoting this event outside of current sailing circles they should be on the horn arranging television coverage for the fleet races of the Louis Vuitton series. Match racing is technically enjoyable when you have a fundamental understanding of rules and strategy objectives, watching a mark rounding with a dozen AC boats would border on pure sensory overload. * From Ralph Taylor (Re: the story headed "Mistake"): I'm reminded of the old umpire's line: "Some pitches are balls, some are strikes, but they're nothin' until I call 'em." Perhaps, the judges' biggest error was the apology. * From Jon Alvord: The information that you have about the Marion to Bermuda Race is in incorrect. There is no doubt who the first to finish was, and it wasn't a monohull! The race to my understanding was a fleet race with the Multihulls starting 24 hours behind. The first boat to finish was Heartsease Larus Roc (formerly Paragon), followed by Alacrity, a 50 ft Dick Newick design. Its time the race committee's give the acknowledgement that was earned. As a member of the Alacrity's crew I can say that we definitely earned it with only 5 great people on board. * From: Tracy Usher: I'm surprised there was no mention of Paige Railey, currently ranked #2 on the ISAF World Rankings for the Radial (counting only 4 events as opposed to the #1 sailor counting the full 7), as being atop the leader board in the Radial fleet. From where I sit I'm thinking she is the best US athlete at Kiel... certainly she is the one to beat in the women's Radial fleet. Why the snub? Curmudgeon's Comment: No snub intended - just an unfortunate (perhaps unforgivable) oversight. * From Brian Raney: I wish Dean Brenner the best of luck with the Olympic fund raising. To that end, allow me to present you with the value of my Sailing World subscription built into my US Sailing dues - you know, the one I no longer receive. I'm sure that USSA was going to refund that amount to all of us, but please go ahead and keep it for the athletes. I'm sure they'll see every dollar of it! Please don't expect me to do anything more than this. I have trouble funding my own sailing, let alone my competitors. * From Joe Dervin: Good On Ya John Glynn. Remembering the single most exciting AC-related race I have witnessed (going back to 1983), One Australia vs Kiwi Magic in the LV Cup in '95. It was Rod Davis and crew throwing untold numbers of tack against the Kiwis. If anyone has a copy of that race, do yourself a favor and replay it, classic match racing in 75 foot boats. Who knows what would have happened if the other Aussie boat had not folded and submerged. The point being that there was no question about who was driving the boat and who was in control. * From Leonard Kirby: Huh? US Sailing gave the Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal, "which recognizes exemplary acts of seamanship," to the crew of a boat who stopped to pick up one of their own crewmembers who went over the side during jibe. Am I the only one who feels US Sailing's Hanson Rescue Medal is no longer the big deal it once was? * From Mark Eustis (With regard to Mr. Bartholomew's letter on the subject of elapsed vs. actual finishing times): I must declare I had never adequately examined the true meaning of "first to finish". If a boat with a lower elapsed time finishes after the first boat to finish is that boat still first? And if the first boat to finish finishes before another boat but has a slower elapsed time than the order in which they finished, were they (are they) still the first boat to finish? Is the boat with the lowest elapsed time really first? Or is the first boat to finish still the first boat to finish, even though another boat is faster? I guess it depends upon what the meaning of the word "is" is. * From: Andrew Beeckman (In regards to US Olympic Sailing Committee's initiative to fundraise): Finally! It's too bad it took more than a decade to figure it out! Just remember Dean, actions speak louder than words ... god knows we've all had enough lip service in the past about promised $$ for Olympic level athletes, including athletes that have made it to the big dance. Show me The Money - I couldn't resist. * From John (Chink) Longley: Matthew Sheahan's article reminded me of the 1986 12 Metre Worlds off Fremantle which I did on Australia II. Prior to the start Hughie Treharne, our tactician, advised that he and Gordon Lucas, the helmsman, were going to avoid the port layline at all costs. Thirty minutes later, having been held out by French Kiss, we found ourselves reaching into the top mark on port tack confronted by a solid wall of Twelves charging in on starboard. We ducked and finally found a small hole in front of Azzurra, rounding 10th but only a dozen boat lengths behind the leader. The breeze had swung to the right so the first reach was pretty square. We got the shute up and Sean Leonard, the sewerman, and I somehow managed to fall down the fore hatch with the genoa, sea weed and some fish as by this time the foredeck was almost permanently underwater with a nice little bow wake coming off the fore stay.When I came back on deck I was greeted by an amazing scene of pure carnage. Broken poles, broken booms, blown shutes, crew in the water - all in the maelstrom of fourteen Twelves' huge quarter wakes. I still remember that race and the eight that followed it, as the most fun I have ever had on a yacht, so I am very envious of the crews as they prepare for the fleet racing off Valencia. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS Buckle up - it makes it harder for the aliens to snatch you from your call. |
