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SCUTTLEBUTT 1326 - May 9, 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. SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT Contrary to what many believe, and a number of erroneous reports, the America's Cup Deed of Gift does not prohibit Alinghi from running the next Cup on a Swiss lake. The Deed provision about "an arm of the sea" has to do with the requirements for a yacht club to be eligible to challenge. One such requirement is "having for its annual regatta an ocean water course on the sea, or on an arm of the sea...." Then there is the oft-cited provision about "ocean courses free of headlands." This, however, is a default provision that applies only if the defender and challenger do not mutually consent to other terms. The actual wording is, "In case the parties cannot mutually agree upon the terms of a match, then three races shall be sailed, and the winner of two of such races shall be entitled to the Cup. All such races shall be on ocean courses, free from headlands...." Obviously the Hauraki Gulf is not free of headlands, but the Challengers of Record for both 2000 (New York YC) and 2003 (Prada's YC Punta Ala) mutually agreed with the Defender to hold the races in the Gulf. The new Protocol, the document which memorializes the mutual agreement of the defender and the latest challenger of record, (Golden Gate YC, Oracle BMW's challenge) states only that "... the Match will be in European waters." While the Swiss could, therefore, run the next AC in Lake Geneva or any other Swiss lake, they are already on record saying they will not; opting instead for either the Atlantic coast or the Mediterranean where, among other things, the breeze is steadier than the Swiss lakes -- not because the Deed prohibits it. - Tom Ehman, Rules Advisor, Oracle BMW Racing JOHN KOSTECKI - A Sailing World magazine interview Sailing World: There are a number of big changes for the next Volvo Ocean Race in 2005. You've said it was a shame the Volvo 60s were ditched and that you would have preferred to see something similar to the big catamarans used for The Race. John Kostecki: The big multihulls seem to be the wave of the future. I was hoping that Volvo would make the big jump, but I can understand their logic. I have a few concerns with the current format, though. We advocated saving money for the teams to be competitive, and now they have to build a 70-foot boat, which is going to be expensive. I'm afraid the changes they made are not significant enough to get a good turnout. I hope I'm wrong. SW: What do you think about the 70-footer and the proposal of fewer crew? JK: It's going to make it a lot harder on the crew. It's a bigger boat and will be harder to handle. The bigger boat will be a lot more demanding. It was a tough race before and I think the next will be tougher. SW: Does the in-port racing component put too much of a demand on the crew? JK: If anyone wants to take it to the highest level, they will need two dedicated teams - one for the offshore legs and one to do the inshore racing. I don't know . . . I just think the whole thing wasn't thought out all that well. It'll be intense because they'll have to have inshore experts, fly them around, and pay them. SW: So, are you out for the next Volvo? JK: At the moment, I'm not planning on it. It seems I've only recently recovered from the last one, and it's hard to think about doing that type of racing again. It took me a lot longer to recover than I realized. I don't know why . . . physically and mentally . . . I didn't feel recovered until several months after the race. It's a strange thing and hard to explain . . . it's a certain burnout and some serious physical recovery - you're just not yourself. - Excerpts from a comprehensive interview by Dave Reed now posted on the Sailing World website. Full interview: http://www.sailingworld.com/sw_article.php?articleID=1807 STOP LOOKING SILLY Stop looking silly in your sea boots. When your favorite Dubarry offshore sea boots are a bit much for your inshore sailing, it's time to switch to your other favorite Dubarrys, your Fijis. Hand-made by Dubarry and new for 2003, introducing the Fiji Performance shoe. This athletic style, lightweight shoe is made of a combination of Mirapel water-resistant nubuck leather, Dri-Lex fabric and Lycra. With great ankle support and a super non-slip sole, the Fijis are the nicest performance sailing shoe available. Annapolis Performance Sailing, your performance sailing source, invites you to check out the Fijis at http://www.apsltd.com/scuttlebutt.asp ECONOMICS 101 Yachting New Zealand is concerned that the public may incorrectly consider the proposed Government spending on the Americas Cup as an investment in yachting and New Zealand sport in general. To confuse the money spent in sport with the Governments' investment in what is primarily a commercial decision in relation to trade and tourism benefits Team New Zealand may offer would be a mistake. Amateur sport in New Zealand from grass roots through to high performance at Olympic level receives considerably less Government support than many of our international counterparts and as the Graham taskforce 'Review of Sport' indicated is presently under-resourced. "Figures from Sydney 2000 show that the United Kingdom through primarily Government sources invested greater than 15 times more funding than New Zealand and yet we are expected to produce similar results" comments Board Chairman, Arthur Stewart. "Our current position is that many sports offer a return on trade and tourism in addition to the significant benefits participation in sport brings to New Zealand society. We believe New Zealand would benefit greatly if Government increased the spend in sport to reflect the level of Government support some of our international counterparts benefit from, and in doing so, acknowledge the contribution sport makes to New Zealand's economy, image and communities." In the last financial year Yachting New Zealand received $143,000 to support the sport in New Zealand and $608,000 to support amateur high performance yachting. In the 5 years leading to Sydney 2000 the UK spent 55 million pounds on developing amateur yachting. "We support the Minister for the Americas' Cup and Governments' principle to invest on a commercial basis in New Zealand based challenges for the Americas Cup. The Cup has far greater potential to bring trade and tourism return than any other international event New Zealand sport participates in" says Stewart. "The Cup is a unique winner takes all trophy, including the hosting rights and with that remarkable return for tourism and trade to the winning country". New Zealand was estimated to receive some $640 million in economic benefit from the 2000 event and figures not yet available for the 2003 event are expected to be greater. - ISAF website, http://www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=4447 NEWS BRIEFS * The forecast 10-15 knots of wind from the Northwest for race number two of the Etchells North American's never came. Racing abandoned for the day at 1454 hrs. - http://www.race.annapolisyc.com * There will be a memorial service held for Stanley Rosenfeld at Mystic Seaport Museum, at 3:00 PM this Saturday, May 10. * In Newport, RI, the Around Alone skippers are taking time to relax and discuss future plans. Bernard Stamm has returned to France to visit with his new daughter Camille, as has Thierry Dubois who has gone home to see his wife Muriel and daughters. Emma Richard has been splashed on the front page of all the London newspapers and returned to the UK yesterday morning for a whirlwind week of television interviews, honorary awards and a quick visit to her new flat on the Isle of Wight. All of the sailors will return to Newport for May 17 the prize giving. - http://www.aroundalone.com * The list of 146 competitors who have been accepted to race in this year's U.S. Youth Sailing Championship has been announced. The competitors are selected based on their sailing resumes. This year's event will be held June 20-26 and is hosted by the Milwaukee Yacht Club. Double- and single-handed fleets are sailed in Club 420s and Lasers. . Competitors list: http://www.ussailing.org/youthchamp/2003/Competitors.asp * The Government can expect a rough ride over its decision to dish out $33 million to Team New Zealand for its next America's Cup challenge, writes The (NZ) Marlborough Express in an editorial. "It is a decision that needs challenging when there are so many other calls on taxpayers' money." - http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/marlboroughexpress/0,2106,2461267a6520,00.html * In the first race of the Mistral European Championship Regatta, Peter Wells from Newport Beach, California took third place in his flight. There are 104 male entries in the event - http://www.albaria.it/european2003/default.html HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? Or sailing slow on the wrong tack? If you're getting headed, Tacktick can help! Most of us have been so busy shoveling snow this winter that the sailing season is getting off to a late start. Tacktick wants to speed things up and move you in the right direction by offering a sale on their solar powered instruments. Get $50 off the Micro compass, $100 off the Race Master, $150 off the Speed Master, and $250 off a Sail Master. Summer sale prices are available through Layline and other participating dealers. Contact us at 800.542.5463 or http://www.layline.com CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS * May 10-11: ISSA National High School Doublehanded Championship for the Mallory Trophy, Lake Mascoma, NH, hosted by NESSA and Dartmouth College. - www.highschoolsailingusa.org * May 11-18: Star Spring Championship of the Western Hemisphere, Gull Lake YC, Richland, MI. Between 50 and 60 boats are expected to participate in the six-race event. http://www.gulllakestarfleet.org * May 10-20: Laser Atlantic Coast Champs, Severn Sailing Association, Annapolis, Md. www.laserfleet10.com * May 14-17: Star Spring Championship, Gull Lake YC, Richland, Mich. www.gulllakestarfleet.org * May 21-25: SPA (all Olympic classes), Medemblik, NED. www.sparegatta.org * May 24-25: ISSA National High School Team Racing Championship for the Baker Trophy, hosted by PCISA and Mission Bay YC. - www.highschoolsailingusa.org 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 Mike Titgemeyer: I've been troubled by all the attention to Team NZ and all the reports... These guys can seem to get over losing! Did we (the US ) cry the blues for so long in the 80's and 90's when we lost the cup. Hey sometimes you have a slow boat! Sometimes the boat breaks! Sometimes you miss a start! We've all made mistakes, I think TNZ needs to get their stuff together and figure it out without all the retrospective negativism. Personally I don't think they'll ever have the confidence again to win - challenge or not! Either way I am a little tired of hearing about their 'Catastrophe' I watched with them - I also watched them win in San Diego and watched the Aussies do it in Newport. I'm excited about Europe, are there any stories out there on winners or countries that have a campaign? * From Lloyd Klee: As a loyal kiwi, I don't have a problem with the report. There were a large number of other syndicates that got it wrong since New Zealand took the cup from San Diego and from a branding point of view, Team New Zealand is one hell of a visual brand. Everyone knows who came second against Alinghi, who were the challenger because of the design knowledge "stolen" from TNZ as well as an extremely good afterguard that was also "sold" to Bertarelli. Does anyone remember who was second to Mark Spitz and his haul of gold medals? Grant Dalton is a good call, the issue is not what went wrong, it is what can be learnt and the real design detail of what went wrong is still within the team which is more valuable. The criticism if anything for me is that Team NZ did not use all available resources to defend both on and off the water. * From Mark Schipper: I am disappointed beyond belief to read the continued mud slinging and finger pointing (ad-nauseum) as those in the thick of it struggle to save grace while those who are not steer clear and bite their tongues, all in the name of avoiding damage to their own image. I used to believe "The Cup" was about sailing. It is anything but. Countless sailors, boat builders, mast builders, sail makers, hardware manufacturers, attorneys, journalists, sponsors, NZ businesses (need I go on?) made plenty of money and advanced careers in AC2003. Why must so many "professionals" run around screaming "It's not my fault...it's theirs!"? An accomplished individual can manage imperfection without blaming others. The two things that kill me the most are that the old TNZ board failed miserably to retain the talent they already had to defend the cup, then proceeded to help turn an entire nation against the extraordinary gentlemen who brought so much fame, fortune and national pride to NZ ... twice, simply to mask their own failures. Shameful! The second is the two NZ based articles I just read in 'Butt 1324. In my book you don't kick 'em when they're down. Period. Especially your own country. I have no doubt that each and every TNZ member worked ridiculously hard to retain the cup. Shameful NZ tabloid journalism! Go chase a movie star. Thanks to OLN, ESPN2 and the real professional sailors for the stuff we enjoy most. The racing. Not the politics. * From Jeremy Pape: Am I the only one of us tired of reading about this past Americas Cup and TNZ's 'issues'?. Lets give equal time to us forward looking individuals interested in the future. How about one final Butt to give y'all closure, then bury it and move ahead. Maybe the entire country of New Zealand will follow our example. Curmudgeon's Comment: As we say in our first line of every issue, the focus of Scuttlebutt is to provide a "…digest of major yacht racing news, commentary and opinions." Sailboat racing does not get covered in the front sections of the newspapers very often. When that does happen, it would seem irresponsible for us to simply ignore it. * From Rich du Moulin, crew Great American II (Lat. 04:29S Lon. 22:27W): I joined Rich Wilson on this voyage to give myself a lifetime sailing adventure that links with history, and to be involved with kid's education. Rich Wilson and I first discussed doing this together when we were running the Storm Trysail Club's Junior Safety at Sea Seminar at Larchmont Yacht Club. When I signed on, Rich Wilson stated our objectives as follows: 1) arrive safely in New York, 2) run an excellent educational program, and 3) break the record. I have raced in events ranging up to America's Cup campaigns, and I have to say that this is the most unique experience of them all. The daily e-mail and telephone communication with the schools, combined with the "race" makes this an interesting and satisfying voyage. Regarding Sea Witch, of course we are incredibly different vessels. But we have acquired an even deeper respect for that vessel's capability and crew by pacing against her out here. Crossing the Indian Ocean she powered 2,100 miles in seven days. With heavy beam seas breaking over our pontoons and mainhull, we couldn't keep that pace. We are not laughing at the "old technology", especially in heavier weather. Neither should Mr. Brooke. And strangely enough, this really has the feel of a race, with the unique advantage (disadvantage) of knowing the opponent's daily positions for all 74 days. * From Reynald Neron, Sydney, Australia: Just a little correction is needed in regards to the Yacht Excalibur. The yacht did not sink (as your article says), but capsized in 10 seconds due to the loss of the keel. The following day after the accident, a plane shot some pictures of the yacht upside down, and later on, a police boat towed the yacht (still upside down) to the shore where it has been examined by the coroner. Still, what a tragedy.... * From Clark Chapin: I'm not sure, but today's observation sounded a lot like a quote from Douglas Adams, author of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." If so, it deserved attribution. Incidentally, the IACC Rule seems to also have been authored by Douglas Adams, since I was told once by Tom Ehman Jr. that the formula at the heart of the Class requires that the answer be less than or equal to 42, which as any fan of the Hitchhiker's Trilogy knows, is the answer to the Ultimate Question: The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything. Yeah, I know we're in the middle of the sailing season, but "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is still a good read. * From John McBrearty: - What was the Saturday abandonment at San Diego YC's Yachting Cup all about? It was blowing 20+ knots, with gusts to 28. Not exactly the type of conditions that would result in abandonment anywhere else on the planet. I listened to the Race Committee on the radio (and this should not be a reason to abandon the trend of being 'open" about what the RC is thinking) but, 'it's rough out there" and " somebody could get hurt" are not reasons to call a race that we paid big bucks to enter. It's the Skippers choice whether to race or not! If it was blowing 35-40, I could see why the RC wouldn't want to be out there! Most Skippers wouldn't want to be either. And, while I'm being critical, on Sunday, who made the decision to have the mark set boat, at the weather mark, tell the last place boat in PHRF 4 , that the finish boat was going home and that they would score that boat last without them completing the course. If the boat enters the race the RC owes that boat a finish! THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS Raising teenagers is like nailing Jell-O to a tree. |
