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SCUTTLEBUTT 2007 - January 12, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.SHINY NEW WATCHES Nick Scandone (Fountain Valley, Calif.) and Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) today were named, respectively, US Sailing's 2005 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. A panel of sailing journalists with national and regional perspectives selected the two sailors from a shortlist of nominees. The winners will be honored and presented with specially engraved Rolex timepieces at a February 24, 2006, luncheon at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan. Nick Scandone was recognized for his win of the 2.4 Metre World Championship in Italy. His remarkable performance in the 88-boat fleet included besting seven world champions as well as three Paralympic medalists who were among the 34 disabled competitors going head-to-head with the class's best able-bodied sailors from around the world. Scandone chalked up two first-place finishes in the eight-race series to edge out his closest competitor -- an able-bodied sailor and the class' three-time world champion -- by 10 points for the championship crown. Only two other disabled sailors finished in the top 10 at the event. Additionally, Scandone successfully defended his U.S. Independence Cup/North American Challenge Cup title and won the America's Disabled/Open Regatta. Three and a half years ago Scandone was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Schlerosis), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Now 40 lbs. lighter, using a cane and with braces on both legs, Scandone has battled this progressive neuromuscular disease, for which there is no approved medication or cure, with a positive attitude. "Sailing has allowed me to have something to look forward to," he said. Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year - Sally Barkow, the selection panel's unanimous choice as US Sailing's 2005 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, was recognized for her "versatility and consistency, both abroad and at home" after winning a string of noteworthy international events -- including two world championships -- in four different keelboat classes. In the Olympic Yngling class, Barkow and teammates Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) and Carrie Howe (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) traversed the globe and took the top prize at US SAILING's Rolex Miami OCR; the Expert Olympic Garda/Eurolymp Regatta in Italy; and Semaine Olympique Française in Hyères, France. They cemented their top position in the Yngling class with the world title they claimed at the Yngling Women's World Championship in Austria where shifty conditions on Alpine Lake Mondsee were challenging for the 34 teams competing -- including two medalists among the nine 2004 Athens Olympians in attendance. At the Virtual Spectator ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championship, held in Bermuda and sailed in J/24s, Barkow recovered from two penalties to come from behind twice in three matches to post a 3-0 sweep of the final round. In France, Barkow overcame a strong local contingent to win the ISAF St. Quay Match Race sailed in Beneteau First Class 8 before heading to Annapolis for US Sailing's Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship where she successfully defended the title she first won in 2003. This time it was with one race to spare after a consistent performance in the 42-boat J/22 fleet that featured several Olympians, world champions and three previous winners of the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year title. "There was Sally, and then there was the rest of us," said two-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Jody Swanson (Buffalo, N.Y.) about Barkow's impressive victory. -- Marlieke Eaton For additional information on the awards, including accomplishments of the nominees on the shortlist for 2005, visit www.ussailing.org/awards/rolex Post your comments on the Forums: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1654#1654 BURNISHING THE BOTTOM PAINT - New World Record The Volvo Ocean Race continues to provoke amazement and anxiety in equal measure. While boats are breaking on every leg, leading to widespread concern about their seaworthiness, the ones that are managing to stay in one piece are producing performances to take the breath away. Wednesday it was the young crew on ABN Amro Two, skippered by Seb Josse, the French Vendée Globe sailor, who had the rest of the fleet talking as they comprehensively smashed the 24-hour monohull distance record set by their team-mates on ABN Amro One during the first leg. Hammering along in the Southern Indian Ocean midway through the second leg, from Cape Town to Melbourne, Josse and his team traveled an astonishing 563 nautical miles in 24 hours. That is 17 miles farther than ABN Amro One achieved in the Atlantic a month ago and represents an impressive average speed of 23.5 knots. - Edward Gorman, The Times, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,4041-1981137,00.html As the Volvo Ocean Race fleet passed the half way point in leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race, complex weather continues to challenge the fleet. However, Chris Bedford, race meteorologist, says, that given the expected conditions, the leaders should be nearing the second scoring gate of Eclipse Island off Australia, by Sunday. As the fleet peels off towards the higher latitudes once more, concerns about ice remain on everyone's minds. It is likely that the fleet will want to remain in the stronger winds as long as possible incurring some extra distance. ING Real Estate Brunel (Grant Wharington) has again experienced damage to their mainsail luff track. They are now only able to hoist the mainsail with a third reef in, which drastically reduces the sail area and therefore the boat speed. Volvo Ocean Race Positions at 2200 GMT Wednesday 1. Team ABN Amro One, Mike Sanderson, 2796 miles to finish 2. Team ABN Amro Two, Sebastien Josse, +232 miles 3. Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard, +321 miles 4. Movistar, Bouwe Bekking, +337 miles 5. ING Real Estate Brunel, Grant Wharington, +1051 miles 6. Brasil 1, Torben Grael, +2499 miles 7. Ericsson Racing Team Neal McDonald, retired Event website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/ "FASTEST SAILS ON THE PLANET" FOR 2006 Now is the time to upgrade your inventory for 2006. Whether Grand Prix racing or shooting for the Club Championship, Ullman Sails should be your sailmaker. Ullman's new FiberPath Sails are arguably the lightest, strongest load-bearing fiber sails available. Stronger for its weight than alternatives, superior longevity, and priced with our customers in mind. For Club racers, Ullman's fast Dacron and Aramid Fiber laminate sails, designed and constructed with Grand Prix technology, deliver championship speed. To invest in overall performance and superior boat speed for 2006, contact your nearest Ullman Sails loft, and visit http://www.ullmansails.com CODE FLAG S In an unusual twist yesterday the decision was made to shorten the course for the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht races for the leg to Singapore to just south west of the Sunda Straits -- shifting the finish line some 700 miles south of the destination of Singapore. Race director Tim Hedges explained the decision by saying 'After several days of light winds and slow progress, the wind is now beginning to fill slightly in the north, however the forecast shows that in the Java Sea, the area to the north of the Sunda Straits, conditions are deteriorating. "Light at the best of times, the breeze here is shown as becoming almost non-existent as the fleet approach. This vacuum remains until well north of the central island group that the yachts have to navigate around. As such, the race organisers have taken the decision to shorten the course by moving the finish line to the westernmost tip of Java, at the entrance to the Sunda Straits. From there the yachts will proceed in groups towards Singapore, sailing or motoring as determined by the conditions to arrive around the 15th January as originally scheduled." With the course shortened the front two moved into an unassailable position. At 0908 and 50 seconds (GMT) Durban Clipper sailed across the finish line to win race five, her second consecutive win of the series. Current overall leader westernaustralia.com was a mere 8 miles behind finishing in second place. Both yachts finished in very light and frustrating wind conditions making the last few miles a nerve wracking experience. Further back New York have edged ahead of North-American rivals Victoria to slot in to third place with Liverpool 08 making up some ground over night to be tying for fourth place with the Canadian team. -- http://www.clipper-ventures.co.uk/2006/ QUOTE / UNQUOTE - Paul Cayard "On the run just before the scoring gate, we had the longest run, 140 miles in six hours, that is 560 miles/day pace. The boat is slamming downwind very violently. No one can sleep when it is this rough. As you go from 25 to 30 knots of boat speed, the keel hums to a higher and higher pitch. Then you feel the boat un-weigh itself, you go a bit weightless like in an airplane sometimes and you just cringe in your bunk as you know the bottom of the wave is coming. Sometimes it is just a big snowplow and rapid deceleration which makes you hold onto your bunk so you don't slide forward on top of the guy in front of you. Those are the ones which create two feet of whitewater rolling down the deck. Other times we find the bottom by doing a violent belly flop which shutters and send vibrations throughout the boat. I am sure the other boats are doing the same because they are going as fast as we are. It is not hard to spend time wondering how long these boats can take this type of punishment." -- Paul Cayard, Pirates of the Caribbean skipper NEWS BRIEFS * Scuttlebutt has posted on the Forums a preliminary weather outlook for next week's racing at Acura Key West, courtesy of Chris Bedford and his team at Sailing Weather Services. There looks to be good breeze all week, with an occasional chance of showers during the event. The complete forecast can be viewed at: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1686#1686 * The BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety & Clean Water is looking for new locations to become lending sites for its free Life Jacket Loaner Program. There is no cost to become a loaner site and presently over 328 clubs and businesses participate as Life Jacket Loaner Program sites. The loaner life jacket kit consists of 12 jackets in a protective container, signage and easy-to-use sign-out sheets to track usage. Three sizes are included for kids up to 90 pounds. To download an application to become a Life Jacket Loaner Program site or for more information on the laws in your state: http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/LJLP * The 2006 edition of the US-IRC Handbook has just been completed by the editors of Sailing World magazine. The first copies are on their way to Key West Race Week where they will be distributed to owners and crews. The bulk of the copies will be sent to Sailing World's 25,000 subscribers in Feb-March issue. Other copies will be forwarded to the participating clubs and IRC event organizers. -- http://www.us-irc.org/ * The worst race that Collin Merrick & Amanda Callahan had for a discard was a sixth place finish, as the romped to a 10 point victory at the six race, 52-boat, Vanguard 15 Midwinters hosted by the US Sailing Center of Martin County. Brad Funk & Harriette Trumble finished second, ten points back with 22 points, followed by 3. Matt Allen & Anna Tunnicliffe (24pts), 4. Kevin Reali & Lyndsey Gibbons-Neff (31pts) and 5. Bobby Martin & Erin Kilcline (50pts). http://www.usscmc.org/regattas/V15FleetFinal.txt * Jim Madden, of Newport Beach, CA is looking forward to breaking some race records aboard his new Reichel/Pugh designed 66 foot CBTF equipped sloop. The carbon fiber design, built at Westerly Yachts in Santa Ana, California was launched in San Diego this week. Unlike the CBTF configuration of larger Reichel/Pugh designs which sport fully rotating forward foils that provide both steering and anti-leeway control, Madden's new boat will feature a variation of CBTF where the forward foil acts more as a trim tab and can be partially raised to reduce wetted surface area. - Excerpts from a story posted on the Daily Sail subscription website, www.thedailysail.com * Two new websites will be launched to better serve the needs of those in Ontario, Canada looking to participate in sailin. Current sailors will have an easy-to-remember answer when a novice asks them, "where can I learn to sail?" www.LearnToSail.ca guides visitors through a quick and easy process to get them on the water. Using sport-specific and goal-based questions, visitors will find the most suitable way to experience sailing and will be directed to a facility that meets their needs. For current sailors, www.CrewBank.ca will connect sailors looking to sail with others whether they plan to race, cruise or learn. * On Wednesday morning, the German America's Cup challenger became the first team to transit the new canal linking the Port America's Cup to the sea. The canal was opened over the Christmas holiday, allowing direct access to the north race course area. The result of a massive construction project in the Port of Valencia, the new canal runs approximately 1 500 metres. The work isn't complete yet - there is still dredging going on to make it deeper, along with construction on both sides - but the passage has been ready for transit by a Cup boat for several days now. -- http://tinyurl.com/bxvds SUDDENLY ALONE! ALSO, NORTHU RACE WEEKS Injury, illness or crew overboard can leave a shorthanded crew suddenly alone. Learn how to prepare and how to respond at the NorthU Suddenly Alone Seminar, or as part of the NorthU Cruising & Seamanship Seminar. Learn more about these and other seminars at NorthU.com. Also, find the NorthU Race Weeks at Offshore Sailing School's Captiva, Florida location to provide a week of coaching and on the water training. You can spend a lifetime learning to race - let us accelerate the process. Learn more at http://www.NorthU.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 Ross S Field (Regarding Mike Sanderson's comments re to the Volvo 70): Mike has got it slightly wrong in regards to 'everyone calling for more exciting boat'. After the last race the primary call was for a boat that was more affordable so that sponsors could be attracted to the event and therefore have more boats on the start line and therefore a higher level of competition. Thanks to Volvo we have ended up with incredibly expensive boats /campaigns and therefore have only 7 starters - likely to reduce in Melbourne??? * From Andrew Hurst, editor Seahorse Magazine: Cut the whingeing. The lack of a big fleet in the 2005/06 Volvo Ocean Race is being more than compensated for by the sheer outrageous bloody performance of these new boats. Bravo Moose for taking the time (incredible when you think) to pen a decent explanation of why performance sailors everywhere should be grateful for what is going on out there right now. And bravo Neville Crichton for taking your time to do likewise. The boats are incredible. And they are certainly proving much less fragile than did the early-generation ocean racing multihulls of the 1970s and 80s. And who today would claim that Orange 2 (50-days around the world in complete safety) is anything other than a worthwhile craft? * From Adrian Morgan: Word from the man himself, Mike Sanderson, on the high seas, has turned me over night from a sceptic to an admirer of these magnificent men in the flying machines. If Sanderson and his crew are happy to risk life and limb doing what they were put on this earth to do, then armchair critics like myself, up in the Highlands of Scotland, owner of a 60-year-old cruising boat and getting more curmudgeonly by the day, must respect that choice. It's early days yet and accidents could still happen. I'm inclined to give the V70s the benefit of the doubt now, after Sanderson's words from the battle front. Rather than critisize I reckon I'll just pray for them, for the designers whose instincts were to push things to the limit and crucially the man at the lathe who made the titanium thingamebob which holds the what's it to the widget that keeps the keel on. * From Glenn McCarthy: When the U.S. got into a rocketry program, there were many failures along the way. We all saw the test rockets explode. Eventually, all of the failures were studied, and the results provided safer rockets. Even with those safety improvements, sitting on top of a bomb is still risky. We continue to send rockets after we have lost a few. "Canters' aren't any different. It is a new field. The only difference between NASA's efforts and the Canter's efforts is that NASA was in control of all of the failures and was able to learn much quicker, than the canters that are designed, built and failing worldwide. If the analysis of each failure could be brought to a common table and the experiences traded, the learning curve would be much steeper and the failures much less. Are the designers, engineers, builders and boat owners willing to develop an open database of knowledge in canter development? * From Doug Lord: Canting keels have a long, safe , record of hundreds of thousands of ocean miles and I believe they are an asset in the development of high speed monohulls. When fin keels were first introduced there were serious problems and there will always be potential problems with race boats sailing on the edge whether they have canting keels or more than one hull or carbon masts or whatever. I hope the edge has not been cut too close with the Farr designed boats andthat the crews will remain safe. The problem is not with "canting keels" it is with design, engineering and/or building. * From Bill McEachern: Sure is a lot of noise on the canting keels. It seems pretty obvious to me that while canting keels might currently be a bit of a challenge obtaining high reliability is not beyond reach. It is also obvious that the anticipated loads were under estimated somewhat. The system safety analysis and methods seem to be coping though maybe a little less excitement on that front might be a good thing. It has been good enough for everybody to make it back to port on their own so far. The types of loads being experienced by the boats are not the easiest things to estimate. So that leaves you with the old adage "You can't learn how to ski powder unless you get in it". If you want high performance boats you have to get out there and figure it out. Sooner or later it will get figured out one way or the other. I wonder how many of the V70 boats have these critical pieces instrumented? That would be very useful information to advance the whole concept given the extreme conditions these particular boats are being subjected to. Sure is a blast to watch the whole show though. I would certainly like to see some decent video of those things charging through the waves from a vantage point not on the boat. * From Kimberley Collins: New World Speed Record for Sailing! The best part of this story is that the new record is now held by young sailors, many of whom have never raced in the Volvo Ocean Race before and were selected to compete on Team ABN Amro in an unprecedented fashion-- an open selection process. Last year, when ABN Amro decided to enter two boats into the race, they also made the decision to crew the second boat with young sailors, all under age 31. They opened the selection to all sailors that fit that category, received 1,800 applicants and now have six of the 10 sailors on board selected in that fashion and catapulted to the very top of their sport (The remaining sailors are also under 31, but had more established sailing careers and were hand-picked for the team). They were considered the underdog going into this race and have clearly proven the sailing world and their competitors wrong!! Two Americans are among this young crew, George Peet, 25, of Harbor Springs, Mich. and a resident of Newport, R.I. and Andrew Lewis, 23, of Honolulu. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION The average woman would rather have beauty than brains, because the average man can see better than he can think. Special thanks to Ullman Sails and North U. |
