|
SCUTTLEBUTT 2700 - Friday, October 10, 2008Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, featuresand dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. RADICAL (The editors of The Daily Sail subscription website claim the Farr-designed "Telefonica boats are the most radical in this year's Volvo Ocean Race." Here's a very brief excerpt from their comprehensive analysis.) The most striking about the Farr design, as well as being one of its greatest weight savings, is the cockpit which appears to have come straight out of an America's Cup boat with no side decks, the cockpit sole extending out to the hull. The main advantage of the cockpit arrangement is what this means for the laborious stacking of sails. While the stack on the other boats is precariously perched on the side decks, the arrangement on the Telefonica boats allows the stack to be lower and when the boat is heeled this means it is further outboard and contributing more to the righting moment. "And it keeps the windage down," says (Telefonica Blue skipper) Bouwe Bekking. "Normally the stack goes all the way up to the lifelines and with this you can stack it nice and low and you can sit on the top of the stack as well and you are still safe. The other thing is it is easy to get the stack from one side to the other side and you can even gybe and can basically leave the stack partly on one side and you can only have to move two or three sails over, because the sheets can go over the top of it, so it is very easy to maneuver. Plus it is so easy to trim the headsail - you can sit to leeward of the winch and if you have to do any work to leeward you can just walk up the leeward side, because you are always safe." - http:www.thedailysail.com COUNT DOWN TO SATURDAY The waiting ends on Saturday for the eight teams entered in the Volvo Ocean Race. Leg one is a 6,500nm sprint to Cape Town - second only to the 12,300 nm leg five across the Southern Ocean. The section through the Mediterranean, shortly after the start in Alicante, will be the first Mediterranean leg in the history of this race. But, once the fleet clears the Straits of Gibraltar and heads out into the open Atlantic, things will start to look more familiar. It's not long after the autumn equinox, traditionally a time of unsettled weather. And while we all think of the Med as a place of balmy nights and warm evenings, that isn't necessarily the case in the autumn. So the fleet could face anything in the battle to be first out through the gates of Gibraltar and into the Atlantic. All of the eight boats have already earned some points in the recent in-port race in Alicante, and the next opportunity will be as the fleet rounds Fernando de Noronha, an island off the coast of Brazil during the first leg of the race from Spain to Cape Town, South Africa. The Volvo Ocean Race is a high scoring event -- the team with highest score is the winner. There are three different areas where the eight teams can score points: in-port racing, scoring gates and offshore legs. Volvo Ocean Race Leaderboard 1. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/Iker Martinez) 4 points 2. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri) 3.5 points 3. Puma Il Mostro (Ken Read) 3 points 4. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael) 2.5 points 5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker) 2 points 6. Delta Lloyd (Ger O'Rourke) 1 point 7. Ericsson 3 (Anders Lewander) 0.5 points* 8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp) 0.5 points * One point has been deducted from the Ericsson 3 score as per the jury decision number JN04, October 2. To follow the action online: http://www.volvooceanrace.org QUOTE / UNQUOTE "This morning I packed my bag for leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. 6,500 miles to Cape Town from Alicante, which is exactly 5,891 miles further than I have ever raced before." -- Ian Walker has won two silver medals at the Atlanta and Sydney Olympic Games and was skipper of the Team GBR challenge for the America's Cup in Auckland in 2003. Now he is skipper of the Galway-based, Chinese-partnered Green Dragon team in the Volvo Ocean Race. - The Independent, full story: http://xrl.us/otcgs HISTORY LESSON The flagpole on the Main Green doesn't typically inspire romantic flights of fancy in the students studying on the grass next to it. Yet the flagpole, a campus mainstay since 1939, is as much an historical artifact as it is an overlooked lawn fixture. A closer inspection of the pole reveals an index-card-sized bronze plaque near its base that reads, "This flagpole was formerly the mast of an American racing yacht and was presented to Brown University by its owner, C. Oliver Iselin." The 50-foot-tall landmark comes from not just any dinghy, but - according to letters in University archives - from the Columbia, the first vessel to win the prestigious America's Cup twice in a row, and only one of three yachts in the history of the 157-year-old race to do so. - There's more to this story published in the Brown Daily Herald: http://xrl.us/otaqa NEW IN THE US: RIGGING HYDRAULICS BY HOLMATRO From now on you can choose the quality and the design of your rigging hydraulics. Come and visit Holmatro at the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis and experience the difference. You will be surprised by the design, quality and comfort of our products. See and feel our line of rigging hydraulics, including integral backstay adjusters, control panels, cylinders and boomvangs, and our hydraulic emergency rigging cutters. Come and watch the video of the Extreme 40 catamarans that intensively use our hydraulics and winches in the spectacular iShares Cup and Volvo Ocean Race Grand Prix. You will find us in Tent C, booth 67. -- http://www.holmatro.com WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR After the seventh and last flight of the Round Robin, six of eight teams have qualified to advance to the Quarter-final round in the King Edward VII Gold Cup presented by Argo Group, with a five-flight Repechage round amongst six teams also determining the final two slots. Among these are two undefeated teams from the UK, reigning World Champion Ian Williams and his Team Pindar along with Olympic Gold Medalist Ben Ainslie and his Team Origin. These two will meet, respectively, Mattias Rahm (SWE) and his Stena Bulk Sailing Team and Tour newcomer Keith Swinton (AUS) of Black Swan Racing when sailing resumes Friday morning. Other teams qualified from the Round Robin include Mathieu Richard and his French Match Racing Team/Team French Spirit, Johnie Berntsson (SWE), Sebastian Col and his French Match Racing Team/K Challenge, and on count back, Adam Minoprio (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand/ BlackMatch Racing Team. Racing today was once again in ideal 6-12 knot conditions in Hamilton harbor. Despite the top-two qualifying positions of their rivals, Rahm and Swinton may have an initial advantage coming into this first-to-three point series for having had to battle an additional five flights of racing in the Repechage round. 'We definitely feel the extra competition has helped hone our skills coming into tomorrow,' said Rahm, though rival Williams jokingly pointed out that while Rahm may have won every match today, he lost every match yesterday, 'so I wonder which Rahm we'll face tomorrow?' Williams then remarked 'No, I think he will bring their A game, so it will likely be a tough fight.' - Read the whole story with results on the Sail-World website: http://xrl.us/otckm THESE ARE TOUGH TIMES FOR EVERYONE Larry Ellison is facing a potential shareholder revolt over the size of his pay packet.The Oracle CEO is the highest paid CEO in the US, and one of the richest men in the world, with a cash and shares pay package of $83.4m last year. Shareholders that object to such high levels of pay are now being urged to vote for a say in executive pay at the company's annual meeting tomorrow. Several shareholder groups, backed by a consultancy group, Proxy Governance, are urging the proposal of a measure that would give them a say in payment of executives, rather than having pay awarded by a committee of board members as it is at the moment. Ellison's remuneration comprised of a $1m salary, $10.7m cash incentive payment and stock options of $70.2m, plus $1.4m other payments. http://www.itp.net/news/533749-larry-ellison-faces-pay-cut YES - YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN Ragtime - the 60 footer built for Sir Tom Clark in 1964 under the name of Infidel - has made an epic 7,000 mile southwards journey to New Zealand, only to turn around and nearly immediately depart on another epic journey in the opposite direction, a 119 nautical mile sailing marathon between Auckland and Russell in the Bay of Islands. It was 1964 when the Ragtime (nee Infidel) was built by John Spencer for the late Sir Tom Clark and since then she has accumulated more than 100,000 blue water miles. Based in the Based in the Northern Hemisphere since 1970, when she was virtually extradited from New Zealand because of her lightweight design, she has sailed more Transpacific Los Angeles to Honolulu races than any other boat and winning four of them between 1971 and 1974. But Ragtime, who came to the Southern Hemisphere via a race from California to Tahiti, and to New Zealand just for the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic, is not going to be content with simply putting in an appearance. The boat, which has pre-applied for Cat 3, IRC and PHRF prior to its arrival here, is demonstrating great potential even against boats more than 40 years her junior. - Sail-world website, full story: http://xrl.us/otcjk AS YOU PLAN YOUR WINTER CAMPAIGN Racing teams with a high level of success employ coaches to help them define their goals, assess their strengths and improve their weaknesses. As you plan your winter racing program, let Bill Shore help find you a coach to improve your game. http://www.ShoreCoaching.com SAILING SHORTS * If you'd like to take a virtual tour of the BWW Oracle Racing compound in San Diego, check out this Sailkarma blog: http://www.sailkarma.com/2008/10/behind-closed-doors-bmw-oracles.html * Emirates, the Dubai-based global airline, confirmed its continued support for New Zealand and the sport of sailing by renewing its successful partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ). The airline has committed to backing Emirates Team New Zealand on the Mediterranean TP52 regatta circuit next year. The team has started building a TP52 yacht in Auckland. It will be launched on 17th February and shipped to Europe in mid-March. It will compete under the Emirates banner, with the award-winning airline and Matteo de Nora funding the project. http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=76467 * The World's largest racing trimaran sailboat, the Banque Populaire V, was officially christened in France this week, and over 20,000 sailing fans were there to see the excitement. The yachting community is now abuzz with talk and anticipation over what this mammoth can do, and whether it's components or sailing records we might watch her break in the coming year. After more than two and a half years of construction, and successful test sails over the last month and a half, Maxi Banque Populaire V is now officially christened, and ready to show the world if bigger really is better. -- http://yachtpals.com/banque-populaire-V-3079 * Newlyweds Sarah Ayton, one of the three golden blondes in a boat and fellow UK Olympian Nick Dempsey, will tonight be honeymooning not on an exotic Caribbean island but in a camper van somewhere in Scotland. 'We'll be all right,' Ayton said. 'The camper van has got a heater.' That's just as well since Ringo, the couple's new cocker spaniel, would otherwise be filing a complaint to the RSPCA before snuggling into the sock drawer which is home to his mistress's two gold medals. Ayton is the dog lover who had to persuade her husband three was company, even if just married. -- http://xrl.us/otces * Team Pindar announced a partnership with the Kingdom of Bahrain, exactly one month before record-breaking skipper, Brian Thompson, sets sail in the non-stop solo round the world yacht race, the Vendée Globe, on November 9. The partnership, which has been granted approval from the Bahrain Tourism Authority, will feature the Kingdom of Bahrain royal crest prominently on Team Pindar's state-of-the-art Open 60. The deal also includes sponsorship of Team Pindar's World Match Racing Champion, Ian Williams, who is currently leading the 2008 World Match Racing Tour, as he strives for a second consecutive world crown. - http://www.teampindar.com * Kiwi Luke Smith, is aiming to complete the first ever freestyle motocross (FMX) back flip over an America's Cup yacht into the Viaduct Harbour on Monday, October13. Smith will race down a ramp on a 250cc motorbike and back flip over America's Cup yacht - NZL 41 - before falling almost four stories high into the water below. His stunt will officially launch ticket sales for the Crusty Demons 2009 Unleash Hell New Zealand Tour. -- http://www.voxy.co.nz/sport/nz-crusty-demon-attempt-world-first-jump/5/3700 VIDEO OF THE WEEK The eight teams competing in the Volvo Ocean Race begin their first distance leg on Saturday, October 11th, and among the teams with a North American connection is the PUMA Ocean Racing, which was had been built and based in Newport, RI since the hull came out of the shed in April 2008. Skipper Ken Read gives a fun interview where he comments on the makeup of the team, talks about how the shore team will celebrate their departure, and why his favorite port of the race will be the site of the finish line in St Petersburg, Russia. Click here for this week's video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/08/1010 * If you have a video you like, please send your suggestion for next week's Video of the Week to mailto:craig@sailingscuttlebutt.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Reader commentary is encouraged, with letters to be submitted to the Scuttlebutt editor, aka, 'The Curmudgeon'. Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). You only get one letter per subject, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- To submit a Letter: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- To post on the Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Todd M. Hiller: With all due respect with Scott Ridgeway's post, he is absolutely correct. US Sailing definitely will have their hands full and scratching their heads as to who should be the 2008 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. However, there is one more individual that he forgot. Greg Fisher, who also headed a formable campaign to emerge victorious in a 105 boat fleet at the 2008 J22 World Championships held in Rochester, New York and the Thistle National Championships in Pensacola, Florida. * From Paul Warren, USCG Licensed 100T Master (re collision between Maltese Falcon and Stand By): Unbelievable! As a 25-year sailing instructor, one of the lessons I try to teach is that "the law of gross tonnage wins out!" At 289', Falcon should be considered in the same category -- and given the same "safe distance" -- as any freighter or tanker steaming on those waters. This is common sense, regardless of right of way rules. Stand By's skipper is, indeed, fortunate that there were no casualties on either side, other than relatively minor fiberglass and wood repairs. It sounds like the crew on Stand By was guilty of "wanting a closer look" at the beautiful Falcon. It seems they forgot/ ignored the fact their actions were selfish, risky and totally against the "Rules of Navigation": Both vessels have an ultimate responsibility to avoid a collision at sea. CURMUDGEON'S CONFESSIONS I once worked as a lumberjack, but I couldn't hack it, so they gave me the axe. Special thanks to Holmatro and Shore Coaching. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
