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SCUTTLEBUTT 1405 - September 2, 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. PERSPECTIVE - Paul Cayard (Paul Cayard left the recently concluded Athens 2003 'Pre-Olympic' Regatta with a silver medal. Here are some of his thoughts about that event - printed here with his permission.) The medal ceremony, last night, was special. It is the music, the pace and formality medals to the presenter on a silver platter, the way they announce the names and their countries, and the raising of the flags and finally the applause … it is very moving. Once again, Pride is the word that comes to mind. It all makes you so proud to be representing your country. The USA preformed rather poorly at the Pre Olympics … two Silver medals; ours in the Star and the other in the Women's Keel Boat called the Yngling (Hannah Sweat, Melissa Purdy-Tiburon, CA and Joan Touchette). The strongest country was Great Britain; two Gold, two Silver, and several countries like Brazil and Australia got two Gold's at a minimum. The US Olympic Sailing is outspent by Great Britain by a factor of at least 10 each year. They are the model when it comes to Olympic Sailing today. Every aspect of their team from meteorology, to physical training and therapy, coaching is professional. Their sailors are paid a very good wage to just sail that particular boat. It is working for them. Funding our Olympic athletes is a matter of priority and visibility. It is no different than any other charity. Somehow, we have begun to take it for granted that our sailors will find a way to the podium. Well, we have had a reality check the past few Olympiads and may be in for one this time too. I was an alternate on the US Olympic Team of 1984; nothing but Gold and Silver in every class. That was a dream. The world has changed and countries like Great Britain fund their Olympic programs through national lotteries. Their Star team alone has a $1M budget for the quadrennium. I have to believe there is room for improvement in our country. ISAF SAILOR More than 15,000 sailors are now registered with the International Sailing Association so ISAF felt it was appropriate to develop a logo. The new ISAF Sailor logo is an abstract representation of a sailing vessel moving through the water, drawn from elements of the ISAF logo. It will be available for use by national sailing authorities, event organizers, classes and sailors and will provide instant recognition of their support and use of ISAF Sailor. Through ISAF Sailor, ISAF has utilized its unique ability and position to develop a vital resource of information, with the ISAF Sailor Biography being considered the central element. The biographies contain campaign and general information, images and results. For those sailors who are on the ISAF World Rankings, their biography will automatically draw in their current world ranking and all historic event results. ISAF Sailor enables sailors to upload images and sponsor logos, and manage their biography information on a day to day basis. The 2003 ISAF World Championship, Cadiz, Spain, 10-24 September, will see every sailor participating at the event registered to ISAF Sailor, with links direct from the online results to the individual sailor's online ISAF Sailor Biography. Sailors registered to ISAF Sailor will also be able to use the ISAF Sailor logo on their campaign websites, thus reinforcing their relationship with the sport and ISAF, and their use of ISAF Sailor. ISAF Sailor is a complimentary service providing a portfolio of products to sailors and other users. Complementing the ISAF Sailor Biography are: Email News - offering both a subscription service to users and a distribution service for MNA's, Classes and events; ISAF Sailor Classification - applicable for those events which limit the number of professionals on board, Sailor Classification distinguishes between amateur and professional; Sailors' Forum - providing media for open debate on the current issues affecting our sport. To see the new logo: http://sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=5311 KEEP YOUR EYE OPEN Cost effective wireless instrument information and system control - Ockam introduces OS4 EYE. Load Eye software on your PDA (Pocket PC) and your Ockam connected WiFi PC. View multiple pages of instrument data, set cals, averaging and controller functions, track trends on stripcharts, all in your pocket. - hiking hard on the rail or monitoring performance from your bunk! For detailed information and software download, visit http://www.ockam.com ISAF MATCH RACING WORLDS Riva del Garda, Italy - American skipper Ed Baird won the ISAF Match Racing World Championship. Sailing with Thomas Burnham, John Ziskind and Andy Horton, Baird defeated Australian skipper James Spithill 3-1 in a 15-20 knot southerly breeze on Lake Garda. The petit final was won by Karol Jablonski, 2-1 over French skipper Mathieu Richard. Final standings: 1. Ed Baird, USA - World Champion 2. James Spithill, Australia - Silver medal 3. Karol Jablonski, Poland - Bronze medal 4. Mathieu Richard, France 5. Jesper Radich, Denmark (12-7) 6. Russell Coutts, New Zealand (12-8) 7. Bjorn Hansen, Sweden (10-10) 8. Jes Gram-Hansen, Denmark (8-11) 9. Paolo Cian, Italy (7-13) 10. Staffan Lindberg, Finland (5-14) 11. Ian Williams (4-16) 12. Mikael Lindqvist (2-17) Event website: http://worldchampionship.g2k.it NEWS BRIEFS * The Sailing World National Offshore One Design Regatta drew more than 120 sailboats to the San Francisco over the Labor Day weekend. J/105 North American champs Chris Perkins and Dave Wilson's Good Timin won their 35-boat class. John Kilroy's Samba Pa Ti won the 11-boat Farr 40 class, while the Italian Melges 24 campaigned by Giovanni Maspreo and skippered by Lucas Santella won that 29-boat class. Scott Seller's Swamp Donkey won the Express 27 class, plus the Hall Spars and Rigging Boat of the Day award. Full NOOD report: www.sailingworld.com * The Clipper 2002 racing fleet will sail from New York today on the final ocean race of the sixteen-stage round the world series - a 3,112 nautical mile charge to Jersey. The eight-boats are expected in the Channel Islands September 19 for a 5-day stopover before the final sprint to Liverpool, via Holyhead. Standings: 1 Bristol Richard Butler 81; 2 Jersey Simon Rowell 80; 3 Hong Kong Justin Taylor 61; 4 Liverpool Adam Kyffin 59.5; 5 London Rory Gillard 53; 6 Glasgow Rupert Parkhouse 52; 7 New York Ross Daniel 49; 8 Cape Town Roger Steven-Jennings 25. www.clipper-ventures.com * Knickerbocker Yacht Club, Port Washington, NY - Terry McLaughlin and his crew of Phil Gow, Geoff Moore, and Allan Megarry bested Andy Green 2-0 in the finals to win the ISAF Grade 2 Knickerbocker Cup match race series in J/105s on Manhasset Bay. Final results: 1. Terry McLaughlin, CAN, 2. Andy Green, GBR, 3. Mattias Rahm, SWE, 4. Mason Woodworth, GBR, 5. Martin Angsell, SWE, 6. David Dellenbaugh, USA, 7. John Mollicone, USA, 8. Matteo Simoncelli, ITA, 9. Przemek Tarnacki, Poland; 10. Sven-Eric Horsch, Germany, 11. Damian Emery, USA. http://www.kyc.net/KCup/results03/results03.htm * ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award winners in 2002, Sofia Bekatorou and Emilia Tsoulfa, have been short listed for the Women's Sports Foundation's 2003 Sportswoman of the Year Award. At the recently held Athens 2003 Regatta on their home waters, the three-time 470 World Champions won the event by 17 points, and only once strayed outside the top ten in difficult conditions in this world class fleet. http://sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=5312 FREE GEAR IS HERE! Buy a Vanguard boat between September 1 and December 31, 2003 and get your choice of a Seitech Dolly, a Storm hull and deck cover with a blade bag, an extra sail, or a choice of Magic Marine Gear packages. Don't miss out! Find our more at http://www.teamvanguard.com COLLEGIATE SAILING The Intercollegiate Sailing Hall of Fame museum containing the U.S. Naval Academy and Intercollegiate Sailing Association perpetual trophies has been dissembled to make way for the reconfiguration and expansion of the Robert Crown Center at the Academy. The Afterguard (former college sailors) has undertaken to raise funds to replace the HOF exhibit hall with state of the art displays and electronic data consoles for viewing the history of the trophies and winners. To date $117,000 has been contributed towards the estimated total of $215,000. Those associated with college sailing, past or present, who are interested in supporting the project are encouraged to send a contribution made out to "U.S. Naval Academy" with notation "Crown Center Hall of Fame" to James Rousmaniere, 624-C Heritage Village, Southbury, CT 06488. INTERNATIONAL 14 WORLDS Wakayama, Japan - The weather allowed the regatta to finish on a suitable high note, with blue skies, sparkling sea and a good 15 knot breeze. Having already reached an unbeatable position Saturday, Rob Greenhalgh and Dan Johnson decided to be spectators for the sixth and final race of the championship, and the race was all about finding out who would finish in the remaining overall positions. The anticipated battle for second place overall between Archie Massey and George Nurton and the Americans Zach Berkowitz and Mike Martin came to nothing when the British boys had to retire with gear problems. - Peter Danby World Championship final results, after 6 races with one discard: 1. GBR, Rob Greenhalgh and Dan Johnson, 7 points 2. USA, Zach Berkowitz and Mike Martin, 24 points 3. GBR, Archie Massey and George Nurton, 26 points 4. AUS, Lindsay Irwin and Andrew Perry, 27 points 5. GBR, Andy Partington and Ben Vernieres, 29 points Check out some great photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/ Event website: http://www.i14.jp/wakayama/ QUOTE / UNQUOTE - Paul Cayard "When hitting their mid-life crisis, many people feel the need to buy a motorcycle, Ferrari or change spouses. My anecdote is to go to the Olympics." NOW IN BLACK! The newest color for the Camet padded Bermuda Shorts is Black. The Bermuda shorts are made out of the fast drying breathable Supplex, and come with the reinforced Cordura seat for the optional foam pad. More room in the seat and the rise, and an inseam of 9.5". Available in Black and Grey w/ Hawaiian stripe. Visit the Camet web site for information on the Shorts, Neoprene Hiking pants, Belts, Pants, Coolmax shirts and Mylar bags. http://www.camet.com 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 nor a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.) * From Frank Whitton: I've just returned from the memorial at sea service for Aaron "Chato" Saenz.He was the commodore of Acapulco Yacht Club and past President of the Mexican Sailing Federation for more than twenty years. He touched every level of sailing as both a benefactor and an avid participant. He owned a series of ocean racers called Terral and currently campaigned an ILC 46 and a Reichel-Pugh 43. Chato was Mexico's representative to the IOC. He was the benefactor of the MEXORC Regatta and countless times contributed generously to junior sailors and aspiring Olympic hopefuls especially the Mexican Optimist Association. Chato was a kind and giving gentleman who will be sorely missed but not forgotten by both his family and the countless friends he touched over his 60 plus years associated with the sport of sailing. * From Craig Fletcher: No one every gave back more to yachting than Chato. Chato was to Mexican sailing, what, there is no comperison, he made Mexican sailing. I am confidant sailing is in good hand with Chato, John Arnes and Monte Livingston watching over it. * From John Rumsey: Chato Saenz, A wonderful gentleman and sailor. The leading supporter of sailing in Mexico. Friend. * From Jesse Deupree: I just read in E-USSailing # 136 (US Sailing's email newsletter) of the awarding of the Hanson medal to the crew of Growler for the rescue of the two of their crew that fell in the water when the lower lifeline broke on their monohull. I quote from the newsletter- "The crew on board the Andrews 40 was hiking hard, all hanging on the lower lifeline about 20 seconds after the start, when a six-year old custom made opening hook on the lower lifeline broke in the middle of the boat." I honor their seamanship and skill, but once again am astonished that our rules for racing allow for the use of lifelines as a hiking aid rather than as a safety device. Why this practice continues is beyond me. It is dangerous, uncomfortable and offers little absolute speed increase over sitting inside both lifelines. It has resulted in injury and death in the past, and will continue to do so until the rule is changed. A glance at any sailing magazine will show boats in major races whose lifelines do not meet the "taut" specifications of the regulations, and whose crew would quickly be swimming should the lower lifeline break. * From David Scully: In the four times I have participated in the Royal Western's Transatlantic Races I have been very impressed by two things. First, the Yacht Club's overwhelming commitment to the race, and the support that it's members have provided the racers in running the race thru thick and thin. Second, the cheerful courage of the competitors, particularly those who rock up in wildly unsuitable boats, living on board, eating out of tins, and putting their all into "having a go". I hope that the Club's partnership with Ocean Challenges will give the Race the exposure it deserves, while preserving the "run what you brung" spirit of true adventure that characterized the founding members of the Half Crown Club. * From Rand Milton: Brad Read is spot on regarding his comments about the adversarial role between RC's and sailors. While there are a few RC's that bring this upon themselves, most RC's are helpful regarding requests for information. A prime example of outstanding RC work was during the 2001 J/80 Worlds in Newport, RI and hosted by the Ida Lewis YC. The PRO was extremely helpful in providing the following info over the VHF: 1. Course selection and course info. 2. When there were delays, the PRO would advise competitors the RC's thinking as to when they would plan to lower the AP. 3. And this was really nice, the PRO would key the mike during the countdown for signals, and for the last 10 seconds before the start. 4. Boats that were over early were hailed via VHF. At the conclusion of the event, I know many competitors (including me) went over and thanked the PRO and members of the RC for their outstanding work and progressive approach to keeping competitors informed over the radio. Remember, they are volunteers and giving thanks is the ultimate compliment we can give them for their dedicated work. So if a RC does a good job, let them know - they'll appreciate it! * From Bruce Miller: As a PRO and a Sr. Judge, it was interesting to read Point/ Counterpoint. I seem to recall from a dim past that race officers did communicate with the competitors. Someone might have a question about a flag displayed or no course chart ("just tell me the marks"). OCS boats were hailed by number or name. Then along came the protests claiming "prejudice". On multiple OCS hails, the first boat had an advantage over the last boat. A competitor seeing a boat talking to the RC believes he is receiving information not available to him or that he is getting special treatment. Upholding these protests prompted race administration officials to change the book on how races are conducted. Suddenly a wall was erected around the RC to the detriment of the racers. The RC is bound by the same rules and decisions as the racers. The pendulum seems to be swinging back. With cheap VHF radios available and modified sailing instructions the RC is again communicating with the competitors in more regattas. Race administration is headed toward being more "user friendly." As PRO's we are here to provide a service for the competitors. Setting a fair line, providing signals that all can see and accurate timing are all part of the job. Hailing OCS or even the "open mike" idea provides an extra service. I do not consider that "tutoring" the competitors. * Bruce Thompson: This discussion of RC to competitor communication ignores a critical factor; it's not what these two parties think is reasonable, its will survive appeal. Mr. Wathen's concerns are real. Consider this verbatim quote from the decision of ISAF Case 100, "The fact that the question and answer were broadcast on a public frequency is irrelevant. The answer was advice communicated to A in reply to her specific question." A was disqualified for asking a safety related question by VHF radio. Imagine being on San Francisco Bay and radioing a commercial vessel for safety instructions. If she replies, you should be disqualified under Case 100! Sail Newport's SIs are unlikely to survive a determined appeal. They modify 41, 62.1 (a), 70.1 & 86.1 without specifically mentioning any of them! As long as the competitors accept them things are OK, but let someone appeal and the trouble starts. How many sailors would believe that an appeals committee would throw out a bonus race that the appellant declined to start, when the general opinion of the racers was the more races the better? It's happened in LMSRF's appeal decision Parables vs. CCYC RC. If racers want progress in race management, they need to exercise more oversight of judging. * From Chip Pitcairn: As a wingshooting instructor, I would like to compliment the Greeks on their marksmanship. Hitting a moving target like an inflatable is no easy task. Terrorist beware! CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS What difference 30 years makes: 1973: Being called into the principal's office 2003: Calling the principal's office |
