|
SCUTTLEBUTT 2027 -- February 9, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary,opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. ANOTHER VOR ENTRY? Brunel is expected to announce Thursday that it is prepared to ditch all current points and pay a second entry fee for the Volvo Ocean Race in order to race from Baltimore under a new configuration. The implications of the expected Brunel announcement tomorrow are significant. After they have revealed the extent of the changes they are making before resuming in the race in Baltimore, Grant Wharington’s rebadged Australian/Dutch boat could well be treated as a new boat. Its former lives as Sunergy/ING Real Estate Brunel etc. would be discarded along with the 11.5 race points she has accrued. It would be open for the Volvo Ocean Race to adjudge Brunel to be a new boat and therefore demand a new entry fee. John Bertrand’s column on the VOR website today confirmed the worst-kept secret in the village, that Brunel would definitely not be racing to Wellington. There was further confirmation on the Brunel website Brunel Teamwork * An international jury is flying in for the Ericsson appeal for redress for, they claim, wrongfully being recalled at the start of Saturday’s In Port race in Melbourne. The appeal is now set down for 1000 Friday, Melbourne time. Ericsson’s claim for redress arises because it scored two points for eventually finishing fourth in the In Port race after spending quite a few minutes returning and having to restart, while ABN Amro One scored 3.5 points for winning, but less than two minutes ahead of Ericsson. Ericsson claims: “There was confusion on the race committee boat, which resulted in Ericsson being erroneously recalled. The return to the start clearly affected Ericsson’s finishing position in this race; hence the team’s decision to submit a claim for redress to the international jury.” As that jury flies in to Melbourne for the hearing, the implications of the Ericsson case are the talking point of the race village. If Ericsson was not over the line at the start, what redress can the international jury offer and would any other boat or boats stand to lose points? If it was not Ericsson but another boat that crossed the start line early with ABN Amro Two, can it be penalized? What if all three were over? * All boats today were preparing to stock up with sufficient food and diesel to get them not only to Wellington, expected to take about four days given the south-westerly forecast, but also the long haul to Cape Horn and Rio de Janeiro after that. The Wellington stopover is strictly a pit stop. That means, under the Volvo Ocean Race rules, if new provisions are taken on board, even if crews bring back extra clothing or a dry sleeping bags onto the boat, they will be subject to a two-hour penalty – it will be added to their elapsed time for the Wellington/Rio leg. -- http://www.volvooceanrace.org * Mark ‘Crusty’ Christensen, who was forced off ABN Amro One in the last leg due to injury, rejoins his crew as watch captain in Melbourne for this next leg to Wellington. Mark, 36, from Auckland, NZ, sustained the wrist and arm injury during training in Sanxenxo, Spain, prior to the start of the Volvo Ocean Race. Having continued working closely with the crew on all aspects of the project as the team made their way down to Melbourne, Mark is now ready to race once more as his arm has fully healed. -- http://www.abnamro.com/team *After reinforcements were installed to the VO70 Brasil 1 prevent any further mishaps, the boat was weighed and approved by the race organization. Unlike the other boats, that had to remove weight from the keel bulb to conform to the maximum weight of 14,000 kilos established for the VO 70 class, the Brazilians didn’t have to carry out any major adjustments. “We will be sailing on Thursday and, if necessary, Friday as well. We want to make sure that everything is working perfectly,” said skipper Torben Grael. – http://www.brasil1.com.br UPSIDE DOWN The yacht Moquini which went missing with all her six crew in September last year has been found floating upside down 500 nautical miles off the notorious South African Wild Coast. This information was immediately transmitted to the MRCC (Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre) in Cape Town. The MRCC immediately dispatched a salvage vessel, the Smit Amandla, to the area. The SMIT Amandla has divers aboard who were able to inspect the hull and positively identify it as the Moquini. Moquini is a sorry sight as it is completely inverted with the rudder and engine’s sail drive unit in their normal position - although the keel is completely missing. The big question is what happened? It will take some investigation to determine whether Moquini hit anything, causing the keel to come off, or whether it was a catastrophic failure. At this point it is pure speculation as to when the incident occurred. If it happened when the single blip from the EPIRB was transmitted on Friday morning 16 September last year at approximately 03h40, it would have been dark, and difficult for anyone to locate the EPIRB in the cabin and set it off. However, knowing that the keel was off, may explain the single blip from the EPIRB, as an EPIRB will not transmit when more than half a metre below the water - and with the boat completely capsized it would have been under water. There were six crew aboard Moquini. Massive public support enabled a two week private air search to be conducted when Moquini was first reported missing. – Sail-World, full story: http://www.sail-world.com/ A “VIRTUAL” HALL OF FAME Visa International will be the Presenting Sponsor of the first Paralympic Hall of Fame (PHF), to be inaugurated at an Induction Ceremony on the evening of 9 March 2006 at the Armida Rowing Club in conjunction with the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Italy. For this historic ceremony, three inductees chosen by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the IPC Governing Board will be inducted as members of the Paralympic Hall of Fame. These individuals will be elected based on their athletic performance, history of fair play and participation in community service. According to the IPC, to be eligible for induction in the newly created Paralympic Hall of Fame, athlete and coach candidates must have participated in at least two Paralympic Games and must have won a number of medals, either directly or, in the case of a coach, through the athlete(s) or team(s) they coached. An athlete or coach must have ceased to be an active participant in the Paralympic Games for at least four years, or one Paralympic cycle, prior to the year of election. Paralympic Hall of Fame election and induction ceremonies will be held in conjunction with the Paralympic Summer and Winter Games, and consequently will take place only during those years in which the Paralympic Games are held. For the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games, the PHF will exist as a virtual Hall of Fame on the IPC website. Visa's sponsorship will continue for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. -- http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j6lFh/z`w ULLMAN SAILS POWER TORNADO WINNERS AT MIAMI OCR Ullman’s Tornado sails finish one-two at the 2006 Miami Olympic Classes Regatta. John Lovell and Charlie Ogletree, 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist, dominated the event by a 26-point margin with a full inventory of Ullman’s latest catamaran sails. Second place was captured by Olivier Backes and Paul-Ambroise Sevestre of France (2004 Olympians), also with Ullman Sails. For multi-hull speed and reliability, competitive teams turn to Ullman Sails, and we have delivered! If you and your crew are ready for the “Fastest Sails on the Planet,” contact Ullman Sails and visit http://www.ullmansails.com NEW TEAM MATES BMW Oracle Racing has recruited two new sailors, completing the sailing team for the 2006 season. Former Alinghi team member Jann Neergaard of Denmark joins as mast/grinder and Guillermo Parada of Argentina joins the afterguard. Neergaard, 42, a 2003 America's Cup winner with Alinghi, has recently been competing on the grand prix match racing and TP52 circuit with three-time America's Cup winning helmsman Russell Coutts. Neergaard has secured titles in a variety of classes during his career, many of them together with the Danish match racer Sten Mohr who also recently joined the BMW Oracle Racing afterguard. Parada, 38, the only sailor representing Argentina on the BMW Oracle Racing crew, has been running the Maxi boat Alexia for the past 11 years. Parada's long list of sailing achievements includes wins at various offshore races and many international Maxi titles. The sailing team returns to Valencia in February to prepare for two-boat training and testing this spring in Valencia prior to the start of competition in the three America’s Cup Class pre-Regattas, Louis Vuitton Acts 10, 11 and 12. The first regatta starts May 11 in Valencia. The 36-member sailing team represents 10 nations. Following is the BMW Oracle Racing sailing team: Ian Baker, NZL; David Blanchfield, AUS; Mark Bradford, AUS; David Brooke, NZL; Stu Clarke, NZL; Sean Clarkson, NZL; Scott Crawford, NZL; Julien Cressant, FRA; Rodney Daniel, AUS; Rod Dawson, NZL; Chris Dickson, NZL; Eric Doyle, USA; Noel Drennan, IRE; Larry Ellison, USA; Jamie Gale, NZL; Ross Halcrow, NZL; Zach Hurst, NZL; Peter Isler, USA; Philip Jameson, NZL; Tony Kolb, GER; Brian MacInnes, CAN; Craig Monk, NZL; Sten Mohr, DEN; Robbie Naismith, NZL; Jann Neergaard, DEN; Bertrand Pacé, FRA; Guillermo Parada, ARG; Nick Partridge, AUS; Ed Smyth, NZL; Kazuhiko Sofuku, JPN; Joe Spooner, NZL; Morgan Trubovich, NZL; Brad Webb, NZL; Paul Westlake, AUS; Carl Williams, NZL; Jon Ziskind, USA. CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar VICTORY CHALLENGE He was principal boat builder for the two Dutch ABN Amro yachts that are currently lying in first and second place in the Volvo Ocean Race. He was also responsible for the building of the German Illbrucks boat that won the Round the World regatta in 2002. Today, the Swedish-resident Irishman, Killian Bushe, 50, has taken his position as principal boat builder for Victory Challenge ahead of the 32nd America’s Cup. Work will begin straight away, with planning the building of a first boat in Göteborg, for Valencia 2007, and further modifications, in Valencia, to SWE 63 (Örn) and SWE 73 (Orm) ahead of this year’s pre-regattas. While last year’s pre-regattas took place in Valencia, Spain, Malmö, Sweden and Trapani on Sicily, all the remaining races are in Valencia which is the host for the Challengers’ series, the Louis Vuitton Cup, and for the America’s Cup final next year. That is also where the building that will be Victory Challenge’s permanent base has been built during the winter – and it’s in there that the continuing modifications to the boats that were used in Auckland and in last year’s pre-regattas will be done. To transport them to Sweden and the boat building hall would take too much time. “With Killian Bush as principal boat builder and with Mani Frers as boat designer we have a fantastic team on the boat side of things. I’m very happy about the combination,” says Magnus Holmberg, skipper and helmsman. As soon as the coming weekend those boat builders who will begin modifying Örn and Orm on Monday will gather in Valencia. Victory Challenge didn’t manage to modify the boats from Auckland enough ahead of the regattas, according to the new class rules that apply.“Now they’ll be complete version 5.0 boats,” says Killian Bushe. -- http://www.victorychallenge.com NEWS BRIEFS * The Sail America Board of Directors today announced that Scott H. Evans has left his position as executive director of the national sailing trade industry association, effective Feb. 6, 2006. Evans had joined Sail America on Aug. 1, 2005, assuming the post vacated by Scot West. During a conference call on Feb. 7, Sail America’s Executive Board named Sail America National Show Manager Kevin Murphy as interim executive director while options are explored for moving forward. * Because of the improvements in the weather, solo circumnavigator Dee Caffari has been able to do a thorough check of deck gear without having to get soaking wet in the process. “I am amazed at the good condition everything is in. A real credit to Aviva and the shore team that got her ready,” she said. Now 13,656 from the finish her RTW ‘westabout’ record attempt which began on November 20, the 33-year old Caffari is sailing in 12 knots of wind and had a 24 hour run of 161 miles for a 6.7 knot average. - http://www.avivachallenge.com THE PRACTICAL TRAVELER - THE MELGES 32 The Melges 32 is a dynamic sportboat package with the ability to facilitate trailing and can be hoist launched at your local yacht club. You can also ramp launch the Melges 32. The boat is easy to move to local events or National Championship. Pure Simplicity! Pure Fun! Review http://www.melges.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 thoughts at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From Andy Rose (Re: Ben Lexcen to be inducted into A-Cup Hall of Fame): Finally and yippee! * From Adrian Morgan (Re AC Hall of Fame): I bet the America’s Cup Hall of Fame citation didn't say that Herreshoff, or Olin Stephens "oversaw" their defenders... "Ben Lexcen oversaw the design of a fantastic 12-Meter yacht Australia II that was the first to lift the Cup from America..." Why not just say "designed"? Great that he's been chosen, but still this tacit assumption that he wasn't the true designer of the winged keel. Just that he "oversaw" the design. And all that qualifying stuff about the Dutch later on in the hall of fame citation. Pah! * From Robert D. "Dan" O'Brien: Going with a high cost insurance company is no guarantee that they will give you offshore coverage even if you spend the extra money to insure with them regularly. For most of us low budget types the one or two times that we may want to take our boats offshore doesn't warrant the high premiums charged by the higher risk companies that don't offer any better normal service anyway. I recently tried to obtain a basic coverage quote from a company that would normally write offshore coverage. After three weeks of waiting I still don't have a quote. Yes the agent is one of the best on the coast. I have plenty of experience, and no claim history. It took only a few days to get coverage quote from a low cost insurer. They acted like they wanted the business. If the high cost insurers would offer service commensurate with the size of their premiums they would get more of our everyday business. They would have the large customer base it takes to support the special offshore risk coverage. Until then the inability to obtain offshore coverage will enhance the crew pool talent for the affluent few, and keep the number of race entrants down. * From William H. Gammell: From Scuttlebutt 2024 it has been revealed that keel problems can be found in plodding fixed keeled hulls as well. Surely now there will not be an outcry of "oh save these poor souls before they kill themselves and ruin the sport, and our insurance premiums". Just as in the VO70's they have headed for port; but will this be decried as a dramatic death defying stunt or routine safety measures? As I see it people find fault in the many problems which the Volvo presents. For myself sitting in a frigid college in the north the though screaming around the world is exhilarating, as my web log can attest to. The fact is that being on the water creates challenges and problems. From a tricky windward leg, to a broken steering cable, these challenges are an integral and inescapable part of sailing, and though it may be tough I miss those challenges as much as the wind, waves, and good friends. Let’s view these professionals as handling professional problems, as they do what many only dream of. As with us on our own boats they will, and have learned, and move on. So in the coming weeks watch the Olympics and recognize that the athletes in many of those sports take just as much of their life into their hands, flying down the slopes at immense velocity, as do the trained crews venturing onto the seas for the evolution of our beloved sport. * From Craig Jones: Many who participate in our sport would argue that the new Olympic scoring system is clearly a bit of a joke. Why not go down the track that other sports have used successfully for years. Forget about accumulating points for each race and deciding the winner whether sailing in the last race or not; go for fleet reduction in the same way that the track events systematically cull out the poor performers. For each class, a percentage reduction value (PRV) would be calculated based on the number of entries and, using a yardstick of 10 races, remove the worst performing percentage of the fleet from the competition following each race to allow 10 yachts to sail the final race. If 10 races are programmed for a 30 boat fleet then the PRV would be 2 ((30 entries less the final race's 10) / 9) rounded up. In this example there would be 12 boats in the final race, which would not only contain the best performers over the event; gear preparation and consistency would also play its part. The medal winners, whether a shortened event or not, would be those filling the first three places in the final race. * From Peter Hinrichsen: Whatever the merits of the new Olympic scoring system, there seems to be an error in the comments on the results on the results of the2006 Yngling North Americans, or so it would seem to me. Had traditional scoring been used, Monica Azon would still have beaten Sally Barkow, but by just a single point – not the 13 point spread that the ‘new Olympic scoring system’ produced. They are both great sailors, as are the rest of the fleet, and the Yngling class should be credited with stepping up to the plate and trying the new system. Only by trying it under real conditions can we see what differences it will make to the strategy involved. It would appear however that one massive wind shift caused Sally's poor place in the medal race and such a drastic point penalty would not be a fair result in other circumstances. * From Skip Doyle: Where's Paul Henderson when you need him? I'd love to hear his thoughts on Olympic Scoring. * From Mark Gray: I had the pleasure yesterday to visit the Volvo 70 boats in Docklands in Melbourne. As a previous owner of a Volvo 60, I cannot tell you just how impressive these boats are. I have been reading the letters about the keel problems and what not, but seeing these boats close up is an experience that I recommend to anyone who loves yachts. My old Volvo 60 was parked next to the Ericsson 70, and in all honesty, it looked like a toy in comparison, it is very strange to see a brut of a boat like the 60 being totally dwarfed in every department, I wish I had a camera on me, perhaps someone in Melbourne could take one for you to post on your site. Don't bag them people, enjoy them. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION A wise man never plays leapfrog with a unicorn. SCUTTLEBUTT 2027 -- February 9, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary,opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. ANOTHER VOR ENTRY? Brunel is expected to announce Thursday that it is prepared to ditch all current points and pay a second entry fee for the Volvo Ocean Race in order to race from Baltimore under a new configuration. The implications of the expected Brunel announcement tomorrow are significant. After they have revealed the extent of the changes they are making before resuming in the race in Baltimore, Grant Wharington’s rebadged Australian/Dutch boat could well be treated as a new boat. Its former lives as Sunergy/ING Real Estate Brunel etc. would be discarded along with the 11.5 race points she has accrued. It would be open for the Volvo Ocean Race to adjudge Brunel to be a new boat and therefore demand a new entry fee. John Bertrand’s column on the VOR website today confirmed the worst-kept secret in the village, that Brunel would definitely not be racing to Wellington. There was further confirmation on the Brunel website Brunel Teamwork * An international jury is flying in for the Ericsson appeal for redress for, they claim, wrongfully being recalled at the start of Saturday’s In Port race in Melbourne. The appeal is now set down for 1000 Friday, Melbourne time. Ericsson’s claim for redress arises because it scored two points for eventually finishing fourth in the In Port race after spending quite a few minutes returning and having to restart, while ABN Amro One scored 3.5 points for winning, but less than two minutes ahead of Ericsson. Ericsson claims: “There was confusion on the race committee boat, which resulted in Ericsson being erroneously recalled. The return to the start clearly affected Ericsson’s finishing position in this race; hence the team’s decision to submit a claim for redress to the international jury.” As that jury flies in to Melbourne for the hearing, the implications of the Ericsson case are the talking point of the race village. If Ericsson was not over the line at the start, what redress can the international jury offer and would any other boat or boats stand to lose points? If it was not Ericsson but another boat that crossed the start line early with ABN Amro Two, can it be penalized? What if all three were over? * All boats today were preparing to stock up with sufficient food and diesel to get them not only to Wellington, expected to take about four days given the south-westerly forecast, but also the long haul to Cape Horn and Rio de Janeiro after that. The Wellington stopover is strictly a pit stop. That means, under the Volvo Ocean Race rules, if new provisions are taken on board, even if crews bring back extra clothing or a dry sleeping bags onto the boat, they will be subject to a two-hour penalty – it will be added to their elapsed time for the Wellington/Rio leg. -- class="scuttlebuttlink">http://www.volvooceanrace.org * Mark ‘Crusty’ Christensen, who was forced off ABN Amro One in the last leg due to injury, rejoins his crew as watch captain in Melbourne for this next leg to Wellington. Mark, 36, from Auckland, NZ, sustained the wrist and arm injury during training in Sanxenxo, Spain, prior to the start of the Volvo Ocean Race. Having continued working closely with the crew on all aspects of the project as the team made their way down to Melbourne, Mark is now ready to race once more as his arm has fully healed. -- http://www.abnamro.com/team *After reinforcements were installed to the VO70 Brasil 1 prevent any further mishaps, the boat was weighed and approved by the race organization. Unlike the other boats, that had to remove weight from the keel bulb to conform to the maximum weight of 14,000 kilos established for the VO 70 class, the Brazilians didn’t have to carry out any major adjustments. “We will be sailing on Thursday and, if necessary, Friday as well. We want to make sure that everything is working perfectly,” said skipper Torben Grael. – http://www.brasil1.com.br UPSIDE DOWN The yacht Moquini which went missing with all her six crew in September last year has been found floating upside down 500 nautical miles off the notorious South African Wild Coast. This information was immediately transmitted to the MRCC (Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre) in Cape Town. The MRCC immediately dispatched a salvage vessel, the Smit Amandla, to the area. The SMIT Amandla has divers aboard who were able to inspect the hull and positively identify it as the Moquini. Moquini is a sorry sight as it is completely inverted with the rudder and engine’s sail drive unit in their normal position - although the keel is completely missing. The big question is what happened? It will take some investigation to determine whether Moquini hit anything, causing the keel to come off, or whether it was a catastrophic failure. At this point it is pure speculation as to when the incident occurred. If it happened when the single blip from the EPIRB was transmitted on Friday morning 16 September last year at approximately 03h40, it would have been dark, and difficult for anyone to locate the EPIRB in the cabin and set it off. However, knowing that the keel was off, may explain the single blip from the EPIRB, as an EPIRB will not transmit when more than half a metre below the water - and with the boat completely capsized it would have been under water. There were six crew aboard Moquini. Massive public support enabled a two week private air search to be conducted when Moquini was first reported missing. – Sail-World, full story: http://www.sail-world.com/ A “VIRTUAL” HALL OF FAME Visa International will be the Presenting Sponsor of the first Paralympic Hall of Fame (PHF), to be inaugurated at an Induction Ceremony on the evening of 9 March 2006 at the Armida Rowing Club in conjunction with the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Italy. For this historic ceremony, three inductees chosen by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the IPC Governing Board will be inducted as members of the Paralympic Hall of Fame. These individuals will be elected based on their athletic performance, history of fair play and participation in community service. According to the IPC, to be eligible for induction in the newly created Paralympic Hall of Fame, athlete and coach candidates must have participated in at least two Paralympic Games and must have won a number of medals, either directly or, in the case of a coach, through the athlete(s) or team(s) they coached. An athlete or coach must have ceased to be an active participant in the Paralympic Games for at least four years, or one Paralympic cycle, prior to the year of election. Paralympic Hall of Fame election and induction ceremonies will be held in conjunction with the Paralympic Summer and Winter Games, and consequently will take place only during those years in which the Paralympic Games are held. For the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games, the PHF will exist as a virtual Hall of Fame on the IPC website. Visa's sponsorship will continue for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. -- http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j6lFh/z`w ULLMAN SAILS POWER TORNADO WINNERS AT MIAMI OCR Ullman’s Tornado sails finish one-two at the 2006 Miami Olympic Classes Regatta. John Lovell and Charlie Ogletree, 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist, dominated the event by a 26-point margin with a full inventory of Ullman’s latest catamaran sails. Second place was captured by Olivier Backes and Paul-Ambroise Sevestre of France (2004 Olympians), also with Ullman Sails. For multi-hull speed and reliability, competitive teams turn to Ullman Sails, and we have delivered! If you and your crew are ready for the “Fastest Sails on the Planet,” contact Ullman Sails and visit http://www.ullmansails.com NEW TEAM MATES BMW Oracle Racing has recruited two new sailors, completing the sailing team for the 2006 season. Former Alinghi team member Jann Neergaard of Denmark joins as mast/grinder and Guillermo Parada of Argentina joins the afterguard. Neergaard, 42, a 2003 America's Cup winner with Alinghi, has recently been competing on the grand prix match racing and TP52 circuit with three-time America's Cup winning helmsman Russell Coutts. Neergaard has secured titles in a variety of classes during his career, many of them together with the Danish match racer Sten Mohr who also recently joined the BMW Oracle Racing afterguard. Parada, 38, the only sailor representing Argentina on the BMW Oracle Racing crew, has been running the Maxi boat Alexia for the past 11 years. Parada's long list of sailing achievements includes wins at various offshore races and many international Maxi titles. The sailing team returns to Valencia in February to prepare for two-boat training and testing this spring in Valencia prior to the start of competition in the three America’s Cup Class pre-Regattas, Louis Vuitton Acts 10, 11 and 12. The first regatta starts May 11 in Valencia. The 36-member sailing team represents 10 nations. Following is the BMW Oracle Racing sailing team: Ian Baker, NZL; David Blanchfield, AUS; Mark Bradford, AUS; David Brooke, NZL; Stu Clarke, NZL; Sean Clarkson, NZL; Scott Crawford, NZL; Julien Cressant, FRA; Rodney Daniel, AUS; Rod Dawson, NZL; Chris Dickson, NZL; Eric Doyle, USA; Noel Drennan, IRE; Larry Ellison, USA; Jamie Gale, NZL; Ross Halcrow, NZL; Zach Hurst, NZL; Peter Isler, USA; Philip Jameson, NZL; Tony Kolb, GER; Brian MacInnes, CAN; Craig Monk, NZL; Sten Mohr, DEN; Robbie Naismith, NZL; Jann Neergaard, DEN; Bertrand Pacé, FRA; Guillermo Parada, ARG; Nick Partridge, AUS; Ed Smyth, NZL; Kazuhiko Sofuku, JPN; Joe Spooner, NZL; Morgan Trubovich, NZL; Brad Webb, NZL; Paul Westlake, AUS; Carl Williams, NZL; Jon Ziskind, USA. CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar VICTORY CHALLENGE He was principal boat builder for the two Dutch ABN Amro yachts that are currently lying in first and second place in the Volvo Ocean Race. He was also responsible for the building of the German Illbrucks boat that won the Round the World regatta in 2002. Today, the Swedish-resident Irishman, Killian Bushe, 50, has taken his position as principal boat builder for Victory Challenge ahead of the 32nd America’s Cup. Work will begin straight away, with planning the building of a first boat in Göteborg, for Valencia 2007, and further modifications, in Valencia, to SWE 63 (Örn) and SWE 73 (Orm) ahead of this year’s pre-regattas. While last year’s pre-regattas took place in Valencia, Spain, Malmö, Sweden and Trapani on Sicily, all the remaining races are in Valencia which is the host for the Challengers’ series, the Louis Vuitton Cup, and for the America’s Cup final next year. That is also where the building that will be Victory Challenge’s permanent base has been built during the winter – and it’s in there that the continuing modifications to the boats that were used in Auckland and in last year’s pre-regattas will be done. To transport them to Sweden and the boat building hall would take too much time. “With Killian Bush as principal boat builder and with Mani Frers as boat designer we have a fantastic team on the boat side of things. I’m very happy about the combination,” says Magnus Holmberg, skipper and helmsman. As soon as the coming weekend those boat builders who will begin modifying Örn and Orm on Monday will gather in Valencia. Victory Challenge didn’t manage to modify the boats from Auckland enough ahead of the regattas, according to the new class rules that apply.“Now they’ll be complete version 5.0 boats,” says Killian Bushe. -- http://www.victorychallenge.com NEWS BRIEFS * The Sail America Board of Directors today announced that Scott H. Evans has left his position as executive director of the national sailing trade industry association, effective Feb. 6, 2006. Evans had joined Sail America on Aug. 1, 2005, assuming the post vacated by Scot West. During a conference call on Feb. 7, Sail America’s Executive Board named Sail America National Show Manager Kevin Murphy as interim executive director while options are explored for moving forward. * Because of the improvements in the weather, solo circumnavigator Dee Caffari has been able to do a thorough check of deck gear without having to get soaking wet in the process. “I am amazed at the good condition everything is in. A real credit to Aviva and the shore team that got her ready,” she said. Now 13,656 from the finish her RTW ‘westabout’ record attempt which began on November 20, the 33-year old Caffari is sailing in 12 knots of wind and had a 24 hour run of 161 miles for a 6.7 knot average. - http://www.avivachallenge.com THE PRACTICAL TRAVELER - THE MELGES 32 The Melges 32 is a dynamic sportboat package with the ability to facilitate trailing and can be hoist launched at your local yacht club. You can also ramp launch the Melges 32. The boat is easy to move to local events or National Championship. Pure Simplicity! Pure Fun! Review http://www.melges.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 thoughts at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From Andy Rose (Re: Ben Lexcen to be inducted into A-Cup Hall of Fame): Finally and yippee! * From Adrian Morgan (Re AC Hall of Fame): I bet the America’s Cup Hall of Fame citation didn't say that Herreshoff, or Olin Stephens "oversaw" their defenders... "Ben Lexcen oversaw the design of a fantastic 12-Meter yacht Australia II that was the first to lift the Cup from America..." Why not just say "designed"? Great that he's been chosen, but still this tacit assumption that he wasn't the true designer of the winged keel. Just that he "oversaw" the design. And all that qualifying stuff about the Dutch later on in the hall of fame citation. Pah! * From Robert D. "Dan" O'Brien: Going with a high cost insurance company is no guarantee that they will give you offshore coverage even if you spend the extra money to insure with them regularly. For most of us low budget types the one or two times that we may want to take our boats offshore doesn't warrant the high premiums charged by the higher risk companies that don't offer any better normal service anyway. I recently tried to obtain a basic coverage quote from a company that would normally write offshore coverage. After three weeks of waiting I still don't have a quote. Yes the agent is one of the best on the coast. I have plenty of experience, and no claim history. It took only a few days to get coverage quote from a low cost insurer. They acted like they wanted the business. If the high cost insurers would offer service commensurate with the size of their premiums they would get more of our everyday business. They would have the large customer base it takes to support the special offshore risk coverage. Until then the inability to obtain offshore coverage will enhance the crew pool talent for the affluent few, and keep the number of race entrants down. * From William H. Gammell: From Scuttlebutt 2024 it has been revealed that keel problems can be found in plodding fixed keeled hulls as well. Surely now there will not be an outcry of "oh save these poor souls before they kill themselves and ruin the sport, and our insurance premiums". Just as in the VO70's they have headed for port; but will this be decried as a dramatic death defying stunt or routine safety measures? As I see it people find fault in the many problems which the Volvo presents. For myself sitting in a frigid college in the north the though screaming around the world is exhilarating, as my web log can attest to. The fact is that being on the water creates challenges and problems. From a tricky windward leg, to a broken steering cable, these challenges are an integral and inescapable part of sailing, and though it may be tough I miss those challenges as much as the wind, waves, and good friends. Let’s view these professionals as handling professional problems, as they do what many only dream of. As with us on our own boats they will, and have learned, and move on. So in the coming weeks watch the Olympics and recognize that the athletes in many of those sports take just as much of their life into their hands, flying down the slopes at immense velocity, as do the trained crews venturing onto the seas for the evolution of our beloved sport. * From Craig Jones: Many who participate in our sport would argue that the new Olympic scoring system is clearly a bit of a joke. Why not go down the track that other sports have used successfully for years. Forget about accumulating points for each race and deciding the winner whether sailing in the last race or not; go for fleet reduction in the same way that the track events systematically cull out the poor performers. For each class, a percentage reduction value (PRV) would be calculated based on the number of entries and, using a yardstick of 10 races, remove the worst performing percentage of the fleet from the competition following each race to allow 10 yachts to sail the final race. If 10 races are programmed for a 30 boat fleet then the PRV would be 2 ((30 entries less the final race's 10) / 9) rounded up. In this example there would be 12 boats in the final race, which would not only contain the best performers over the event; gear preparation and consistency would also play its part. The medal winners, whether a shortened event or not, would be those filling the first three places in the final race. * From Peter Hinrichsen: Whatever the merits of the new Olympic scoring system, there seems to be an error in the comments on the results on the results of the2006 Yngling North Americans, or so it would seem to me. Had traditional scoring been used, Monica Azon would still have beaten Sally Barkow, but by just a single point – not the 13 point spread that the ‘new Olympic scoring system’ produced. They are both great sailors, as are the rest of the fleet, and the Yngling class should be credited with stepping up to the plate and trying the new system. Only by trying it under real conditions can we see what differences it will make to the strategy involved. It would appear however that one massive wind shift caused Sally's poor place in the medal race and such a drastic point penalty would not be a fair result in other circumstances. * From Skip Doyle: Where's Paul Henderson when you need him? I'd love to hear his thoughts on Olympic Scoring. * From Mark Gray: I had the pleasure yesterday to visit the Volvo 70 boats in Docklands in Melbourne. As a previous owner of a Volvo 60, I cannot tell you just how impressive these boats are. I have been reading the letters about the keel problems and what not, but seeing these boats close up is an experience that I recommend to anyone who loves yachts. My old Volvo 60 was parked next to the Ericsson 70, and in all honesty, it looked like a toy in comparison, it is very strange to see a brut of a boat like the 60 being totally dwarfed in every department, I wish I had a camera on me, perhaps someone in Melbourne could take one for you to post on your site. Don't bag them people, enjoy them. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION A wise man never plays leapfrog with a unicorn. |
