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SCUTTLEBUTT 1378 - July 24, 2003Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt is adigest 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 and personal attacks for elsewhere. WINNING WITH HONOR When (Tour de France cyclist) Lance Armstrong was dropped to the pavement by the wayward handle of a fan's yellow bag, his closest pursuers, even Germany's Jan Ullrich, who had trailed Armstrong by only 15 seconds at the day's start, slowed to wait for Armstrong to pick himself up, dust himself off and get back in the race. To many U.S. sports fans, casual watchers of this extraordinary bike race, what happened in Monday's Stage 15 of the Tour de France caused a collective "huh?" But to Ullrich, who is now 1 minute 7 seconds behind Armstrong as the three-week race heads into its final five days, speeding off while Armstrong was on the ground would have been wrong. "Of course, I would wait," Ullrich said Tuesday morning at his hotel here, where Stage 16 begins today. "If I would have won this race by taking advantage of someone's bad luck, then the race was not worth winning." Despite some past problems with drug scandals, professional cycling is almost quaint in its code of chivalry. If the leader needs a bathroom break, the cyclists slow down, make room and quit racing until the leader is back. No one takes advantage of feeding time. If the Tour de France should pass a rider's hometown, it is OK for the rider to go ahead, take a detour, and then come back to the race. No one will complain. That happened in 1998, said Frankie Andreu, a former teammate of Armstrong's in the U.S. Postal Service group and now a television commentator. Andreu recalled that Sean Yates, a talented Irish rider, was allowed to ride ahead to his hometown when the Tour began in Ireland. "Sean saw his parents, was cheered by his friends, had a glass of Champagne and then rejoined the peloton [the lead pack] when it got to his town," Andreu said. "It was just understood. That was something nice to do. Of course, it's also understood that the rider will wait for the peloton to arrive. He won't take off ahead of time." - Diane Pucin, Los Angeles Times Complete story: http://www.latimes.com/la-sp-tour23jul23,1,5251533.story Curmudgeon's comment: Some readers are undoubtedly wondering why we ran this story that has nothing to do with yacht racing … but hopefully others will understand. YOUTH WORLDS Madeira, Portugal - A sunny sky on day four of racing at the 2003 ISAF Youth World Sailing Championship in Madeira, provided sailors with a 15-20 knot offshore and gusty wind, similar to the conditions on day one of racing. With two days left of racing, Australia sits in first or second place in four of the six classes. Results after nine races with two discards: Girls Single-Handed - Laser 1. USA, Paige Railey, 21 2. AUS, Krystal Weir, 23 3. FRA, Sarah Steayert, 25 15. CAN, Nicole Bastet, 78 Boys Single-Handed - Laser 1. AUS, Ricky Ironmonger, 24 2. POL, Norbert Wilandt, 36 3. SLO, Marko Sekardi ,40 5. CAN, Alex Steele, 43 19. USA, Christopher Branning, 94 Girls Double-handed - 420 1. AUS, Elise Rechichi & Rayshele Martin, 10 2. FRA, Camille Lecointre & Gwendolyn Lemaitre, 20 3. SIN, Liying Toh & Shiu Wun S. Tam, 26 8. USA, Caroline Young & Shannon Heauster, 53 20. CAN, Brooke Campbell & Anna Millar, 127 Boys Double Handed - 420 1. AUS, Natha Outteridge & Ayden Menzies, 10 2. FRA, Loic Le Bacquer & Yannick Peduzzi, 25 3. ARG, L. Calabrese & D. Saponara, 29 7. USA, Zachary Brown & Graham Biehl, 49 21. CAN, Andrew Costa & Robert Date, 109 Girls Mistral 1. POL, Zofia Klepacka, 8 2. ITA, Flavia Tartaglini, 18 3. ESP, Blanca Manchon, 26 11. USA, Nancy Rios, 76 Boys Mistral 1. ARG, Mariano Benitez, 17 2. HKG, Wing Ho Yu, 18 3. GRE, Biron Kokalanis, 21 16. USA, Philip Muller, 95 20. CAN, Hugo Vallee-Poliot, 138 Event website: http://www.isafyouthworld2003.com/ STRONG SUMMER SUN - UV PROTECTION Protect your skin and sail forever! A breathable, form fitting, sailing shirt, by Sailing Angles offers excellent UV Protection! 8 oz Lycra Spandex construction creates a form fitting yet comfortable sun-protective shirt that stretches when you do whether doing a back flip on the centerboard, or leaping for a surprise jibe on your Farr 40. You will find the high collar and low cut waist very functional, offering maximum coverage. Buy one today, protect yourself, and sail forever! Sizes Jrs, Adults, XS-XXXL. Colors in white, royal and Savannah silver. Available at APS, Layline, and http://www.sailingangles.com PAUL FOERSTER AND KEVIN BURNHAM US Sailing Team members Paul Foerster and Kevin Burnham, fresh from their victory at the 470 Europeans in Brest, France, took a few moments to speak to Scuttlebutt. Here is what they said: Scuttlebutt: You guys just went to Europe and took their top prize, yet 470 racing in the US is hardly existent here. How do you get an edge? Paul Foerster: Bottom line, we travel to Europe. Since competing in the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, we have done the Barcelona OCR, French OCR, Holland OCR, German OCR, and the European Championships. Left to sail is the Athens Pre-Olympics and the World Championships in Spain before our trials in November. Scuttlebutt: But what about your training schedule? Kevin, you're in Miami while Paul is in Dallas. You guys aren't just going to meet after work to get in some reps on the water. Kevin Burnham: Amazingly, we don't even sail together here in the states. We have been traveling to regattas in Europe for practice because we need the race experience as a team. We are the first ones in the water and last ones out everyday. Scuttlebutt: There was a lot of hoopla at the Europeans this year in Brest, France with it being the 40th anniversary. 112 boats, plus very shifty winds and strong currents, yet your finishes were all top five except for your drop race (a fifteenth). So, what happened to cause the 15th? Burnham: Boy, you're not giving us much slack here. It was our one mediocre start in the middle of the line and we were beat out by the left side and right side. We rounded the first weather mark in last place. We thought we did pretty good grinding back to 15th. Scuttlebutt: We knew you could do it. Paul, does age and treachery help during times like that? Foerster: It doesn't hurt. Kevin started sailing a 470 in 1975 and has never really stopped. His experience from being in the '92 and '96 Olympics is still there, plus winning the Silver in '92. This is my fourth Olympics, with an FD Silver in '92 and a 470 Silver in '00. We've both had our share of miracle finishes. Scuttlebutt: Still, the 470 hosts some pretty young and hungry bucks. At 39 and 46 years of age (Paul and Kevin, respectively), do you all get preferred parking at the events? Burnham: People joke about our age and being older than their parents and stuff. It is fun to compete against them and even more so when we beat them. Scuttlebutt: You two hadn't teamed up in a 470 before the 2004 campaign. Any big concerns when starting up? Foerster: Only whether we could compete and win. We feel like we are now well beyond that hurdle. Scuttlebutt: Kevin, you both have been down the Olympic trail a few times before. How's the view today? Burnham: It has become more professional than ever. Teams are sailing full time with complete sponsorship from their federations or private companies. It is much more competitive. There is much more of this interview posted on the Scuttlebutt website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/interview/foerster-burnham/7-03.html Campaign information: http://www.geocities.com/foerster_2004 YNGLING WORLDS The wind gods were not smiling on Warnemunde, Germany for day 2 of the Yngling World Championships. Light and variable breezes once again graced the course and plagued the Race Committee. It was tough sailing as the fleet attacked the line, forcing the RC to employ the much feared black flag on attempts to start in both races sailed on Wednesday. Many who topped the leader board after the first few races fell victim to either premature starts or at least one poor finish. At the end of four scored races, the American Challenge US team of Betsy Alison, Lee Icyda and Suzy Leech lead the series so far with 32 points. In second is Christoph Skolaut from Austria, the 2001 World Champion with 33 and Sharon Ferris of New Zealand with 38 points. After one more race completed, the competitors will be able to discard their worst finish. Tomorrow racing will commence at 11 AM with the RC trying to get in three more races. The forecast is not much better than today and light winds will most likely prevail on the course. Complete report at http://www.challengeUS.org Results after four races with no throw-outs: 1. USA, Betsy Alison/ Suzy Leech/ Lee Icyda, 32 2. AUT, Christoph Skolaut/ Georg Skolaut/ Wolfgang Riha, 33 3. NZL Sharon Ferris/ Joanna White/ Sara Winther, 38 4. DEN, Trine Palludan/ Christina Otzen/ Ida Hartvig, 38 5. USA, Hannah Swett/ Joan Touchette/ Melissa Purdy, 53 7. USA, Carol Cronin/ Elisabeth Filter/ Bridget Hallawell 56 13. CAN, Lisa Ross/ Chantal Leger/ Deirdre Crampton, 77 14. BER, Paula Lewin/ Carola Cooper/ Peta Lewin, 80 17. USA, Sally Barkow/ Carrie Howe/ Debbie Capozzi, 90 18. CAN, Bill Abbott/ Joanne Abbott/ Katie Abbott, 91 Editor's note- So far we haven't found any daily reports on the regatta site, but there are a lot of great photos: http://www.yngling-worlds.de/Seiten/Reports-Photos.htm THE BEST THING ABOUT SUMMER SAILING... The Fiji and Coral sneakers from Dubarry were launched earlier this year and already have a dedicated following. Lightweight, comfortable and very grippy are how they have been described. Find out for yourself from these performance dealers at http://www.dubarryna.com/aquasport.htm RULES QUIZ Two boats, A and B, are reaching along the starting line on starboard tack just prior to the start. A is sailing slower than B with sails luffing. As the boats are reaching along the starting line, B, sailing faster, establishes an overlap from astern and to leeward of A, within two of her hull lengths. B luffs to a close-hauled course to start only to discover that she has waited too long and cannot fetch the Race Committee boat at the leeward end of the line. As the Race Committee boat is not only a mark but an obstruction, B hails for room to tack. A does not respond to B's hail so B protests under Rule 19.1. B then luffs head to wind until she is clear of Race Committee boat but when she bears off to a close-hauled course, she touches the anchor line. A protests B for sailing above her proper course (Rule 17.1) and touching a mark (Rule 31.1). Curious as to how this all plays out? Take a look for yourself at http://www.uksailmakers.com/RulesQuiz/quiz_1.html 505 PRE-WORLDS Malmö, Sweden- Results after four races of the International 505 Swedish Championship and Pre-World Championship Regatta (43 boats): 1. USA, Howard Hamlin/ Peter Alarie, 5 2. USA Daniel Thompson/ Andrew Zinn, 15 3. GER Lutz Stengel/ Frank Feller, 25 4. GBR Terry Scutcher/ Christian Diebitsch, 30 5. DEN Per Larsen/ Martin Friderichsen, 30 Complete results: http://mss.m.se/505web/resultsSC.htm NEWS BRIEFS * After many years, the Carl Schumacher-designed Express 27 is back into production. Conforming to the one-design class specifications and materials, the new Express 27 will be built by Dave Norris Boatbuilders Ltd. in Christchurch, New Zealand. http://www.express27.org/e27spec.Doc * Probably by the time the Mini-Transat Race starts in September 2003, our French will have improved. For now, though, we are only fairly confident in the following translation: "After more than 72 hours of navigation, the first competitors of the Transgascogne cut the arrival line in a pocket handkerchief. The podium of this first step is composed from Jonathan McKee (Team Mc Lube) to 19h56mn24s, Frédéric Duthil (All Sea) to 20h02mn52s and Eskil Degsel (Classic) to 20h14mn42s." http://seasailsurf.com/seasailsurf/actu/article.php3?id_article=2561 SAMSON ROPE WAS WELL-REPRESENTED AT TRANSPAC Again this year, many of the top finishers in the TransPac Yacht Race used Samson lines. Among them were: Pyewacket, Pendragon 4, Grand Illusion, Medicine Man, On Point, Tabasco, Hot Tamale and Innocent Merriment. Top finishers in their class included: Wild Thing in Division 4 and Between the Sheets in Aloha A. Congrats to all on your fine efforts! http://www.samsonrope.com OTHER WATER SPORTS Mike Farr dived off a friend's ski boat into Folsom Lake moments after his 11-year-old son sank below the churning waters while bodysurfing in the vessel's wake. "I swam as deep as I could and as far as I could," said Farr, his voice cracking. "I expected to catch an arm, but there was nothing." An autopsy after the accident on May 28 revealed the boy had been knocked out by carbon monoxide fumes and then drowned, making young Anthony Farr a new victim of boating's dirty little secret: CO poisoning. Marine engines, not subject to the same emission controls as cars, produce so much carbon monoxide that, on calm days, invisible clouds of the odorless gas can form in the open air. Swimmers, boat passengers - possibly dockworkers and passers-by - can be exposed to doses big enough to cause dizziness, unconsciousness, even death. The danger of carbon monoxide poisoning inside boats has long been known. But only in the last three years have federal and state health officials realized that outdoor CO poisoning from boat exhaust has caused or contributed to at least 46 deaths nationwide since 1990, which is as far back as investigators have searched for past incidents. As a result, surviving family members are suing boat manufacturers, alleging design defects and inadequate safety warnings. - Tom Abate, San Francisco Chronicle, full story: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/07/18/MN128646.DTL LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com) (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 or a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.) * From Lance Robinson: Yesterday's 'Butt carried the welcome news of Renault UK signing up to sponsor Ellen MacArthur's Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, saying that the car company is "already a leading player in the world of Formula 1 motorsport, and an association with the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team brings together two sports that run at the leading edge of technology." But this is not the first such link-up between F1 and Sailing. In 2001, a deal was engineered that brought leading F1 player BMW into the America's Cup thus creating Oracle BMW Racing. Regardless, seems like good news for our sport. Are we likely to see more F1-Sailing connections? * From Will Keene President Edson Int'l: There was a great gathering in Mystic, Ct. last night to celebrate the 29 year career of Dick Rath at Lewmar and Barient. Dick was one of the most respected salesmen in our industry, a great friend, and a guy of many talents. I hope you all will join in wishing Dick many happy and healthy years ahead as he puts away the winch grease and picks up his pallette to paint a wonderful picture. We'll miss you Dick, and don't be a stranger. * From Andy Burton: I sailed in the Newport Regatta 10 days ago where the sponsor, Volkswagen, had their new SUV on display. I will most likely buy one directly as a result of their support of this regatta. That and the fact that it seems to be a good truck that has the power to tow my boat. The message is that if you have a good product, sponsoring sailing is a good idea. * From Drew Satariano: After hearing of Janet Sharp's passing, I was motivated to drop a line in remembrance, as I'm sure so many others will do as well. It was comforting to get the news from Big Mike who sailed thousands of miles with Janet during Cheval's heydays during the mid-80's and 90's. I was running the Long Beach West Marine store in those days and Cheval lived on Gangway 4, aka "sled row." Whenever Janet would come into the store, invariably, the whole place would light up. The same could be said about her presence at the Long Beach Yacht Club where she had been a member since 1988. As a LBYC staff commodore, I can say unequivocally that our members that knew her class and charm will dearly miss her. The west coast yachting community has lost a very unique yachtswoman who will always hold windward position in our hearts. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said. |
