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SCUTTLEBUTT 1591 - May 26, 2004Powered 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, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere. THEY JUST WON'T GO AWAY The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public forum to discuss mandatory wear of personal flotation devices (PFD) on recreational boats, NTSB Chairman Ellen Engleman Conners has announced. The one-day forum will begin at 9:00 am on August 25, 2004 at the NTSB Academy in Ashburn, VA. The purpose of the forum is to gather all available data, and to promote an open and informative discussion of policy issues related to mandatory PFD use. It has been on the Board's "Most Wanted" list of transportation safety improvements since its inception in 1990. "The Board has made a solid commitment to advance recreational boating safety by all means available to our agency," said Chairman Engleman Conners. "A public forum will be an excellent mechanism to bring together agencies and organizations to identify solutions that will improve public safety in recreational boating." Coast Guard statistics show that 750 boaters died in 2002. Eighty-five percent of those who drowned were not wearing PFDs, even though in many cases, PFDs were aboard. These statistics have been consistent from year to year and Coast Guard statistics show that approximately 450 lives could be saved each year if the victims wore PFDs. The Safety Board wants to build on this information and other data available to evaluate the safety benefits of mandatory wearing of PFDs on recreational boating. Currently, most States require PFD wear for children and for personal watercraft operators. No State requires PFD wear for all occupants. Yet six years of observational studies by the Coast Guard show that less than 5% of adults in open boats wear PFDs. Some of the issues discussed at the forum will be: * New PFD technology * Alternatives to mandatory wear rules * The impact of federal and/or state legislation mandating wearing of PFDs on recreational boats * Various vessels and type of operation that should be included in or exempted from mandatory wear rules Registration details for the forum and directions to the Academy may be found on the Board's website: www.ntsb.gov Curmudgeon's Comment: According to the NTSB website, due to limited resources, they do not respond to unsolicited e-mails, but comments can be mailed to: Chairman Ellen Engleman Conners National Transportation Safety Board NTSB Headquarters 490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20594 FULL SUPPORT To the relief of local ministers, recently elected Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has pledged the Spanish government's full support of the America's Cup saying that it will be treated and funded as if it were the Olympic Games. At a meeting with regional president Francisco Camps, Zapatero assured that strategic investments for this and other projects initiated under the former government would not be changed. Minister of Public Administration, Jordi Sevilla, said that the government's intention is to participate with at least 40 per cent financial support, although in political terms this collaboration will reach 'to whatever level is necessary'. To show this commitment, Sr Sevilla announced that the PM intends to visit Valencia in the near future to see the range of projects the America's Cup entails. While 50 per cent of the proposed 650 million-euro budget will be spent on new moorings, almost 40 per cent will be spent on extending ports and marinas. New ports not privately initiated will take up 11 per cent of the budget. - Sail-World website, full story: www.sail-world.com/ TRIVIA QUESTION What accomplishment is shared by the likes of Ed Baird, Terry Neilson, John Bertrand (US), Peter Commette and Glenn Bourke? (Answer below) IT'S A RACE: IT'S MUSTO'S MPX GORE-TEX RACE It's exclusive, it's light, it's Gore-Tex. Developed for the America's Cup, Musto's MPX Gore-Tex Race gear is extremely breathable, waterproof and durable whilst also providing maneuverability for high activity, high performance sailing - such as match racing or round the cans. It incorporates Musto's revolutionary HPX Stretch fabric in areas that require instant and high levels of mobility. Check it out at one of the following retailers: www.apsltd.com; www.fawcettboat.com; www.layline.com; www.fisheriessupply.com; www.pineapplesails.com; team1newport.com or www.westmarine.com. You don't need to be a professional sailor to experience Musto. Give it a try next time. http://www.musto.co.uk COLLEGIATE NAs Starting today, the Northwest Intercollegiate Sailing Association will host the much-anticipated Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) North American Championships in Cascade Locks, Oregon. The ICSA North American Women's Dinghy Championship will run from May 26-28; the ICSA/Layline North American Team Race Championship from May 30-June 1; and the ICSA/ Gill North American Coed Dinghy Championship from June 2-4. All three events will be sailed in FJs from Marine Park, where all of the racing in the Columbia River Gorge can be seen from shore. Each of the 25 colleges participating will field separate A and B division teams for both the women's and dinghy events. District eliminations qualified 18 colleges to compete in the women's championships; 14 qualified for the team racing championship; and 16 qualified for the dinghy championship, which also includes two teams selected at-large. Of the 25 colleges qualified for these championships, nine schools qualified to send competitors in all three championships: College of Charleston, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Hobart/ William Smith Colleges, Texas A&M Galveston, University of Hawaii, University of Michigan, University of Washington, and the University of Wisconsin. - http://www.collegesailing.org/nwicsa/na/default.htm STRESSED OUT (The Daily Sail website has posted a story by Peter Bentley that looks at a new fibre optic device that could revolutionize sailboat structural engineering. Here are a couple of brief excerpts from this comprehensive piece.) A relatively new British company that has finally perfected a lightweight and comparatively low cost system for measuring loads in composite structures. Right now, the Insensys fibre optic strain measurement system is fitted to a number of high profile projects including Mirabella, Ellen's new Castorama B&Q, Yves Parlier's radical new 60ft catamaran Médiatis Région Aquitaine and even a humble Oyster 72. Where these high profile projects tread today, it seems more down to earth designs will follow tomorrow. On the face of it, the most obvious application for the Insensys system is load monitoring and warning the crew of potential overloads in the structure. On boats like Mirabella or Médiatis Région Aquitaine, the likes of which have never been seen before, this is indeed a vital function. Though structural monitoring is clearly an important role for the systems currently installed, Jones sees this as just one of the many potential applications of the system. In the longer term, data gathered by the systems on these boats will allow the designers to push nearer the limits with subsequent commissions. Imagine if you will, the lot of the America's Cup structural engineer. We know for a fact that the loads on these boats sometimes exceed the strength of the structure (proof if any were needed comes in the form that at least two have suffered very public hull-failure). In order to make sure the boats do not break, the majority are marginally over built and thus heavier than they need to be. - The Daily Sail, http://tinyurl.com/yqv9x SWEDISH MATCH TOUR Split, Croatia - Peter Gilmour of Australia and the Pizza-La Sailing Team of mixed nationalities streaked to the early overall lead today at the ACI HTmobile Cup, an event of the Swedish Match Tour. Gilmour and crew Rod Dawson (NZL), Mike Mottl (AUS), Kazuhiko Sofuku (JPN) and Yasuhiro Yaji (JPN) the runaway leaders of the Swedish Match Tour Championship Leaderboard won all of their races today enroute to a 7-0 record after the first eight flights of the 18th annual event off Split Harbor. After a 68-minute postponement this morning due to light winds, the race committee took an aggressive approach to conducting racing. The southwesterly breeze started at 6 knots for Flight 1, but by Flight 2 it had increased to 10 knots. The wind would gust up to 16 knots throughout the afternoon, and the race committee ran eight flights, 40 matches overall in a bit more than seven hours, over the standard windward/ leeward, twice-around course. "I think it was very clever of them to get that much racing in," said Gilmour. "I've been at these events where they knock off at 5:00 and then there's nothing later in the week." - Sean McNeill, www.SwedishMatchTour.com ACI HTmobile Cup After eight of 22 scheduled flights: 1. Peter Gilmour/AUS, Pizza-La Sailing Team 7-0 2. Bertrand Pacé/FRA, Team France 6-1 3. Magnus Holmberg/SWE, SeaLife Rangers 5-2 = Jes Gram-Hansen/DEN, Team Denmark 5-2 5. Gavin Brady/NZL, Oracle BMW Racing 5-3 6. Mathieu Richard/FRA 4-3 7. Mattias Rahm/SWE, Team Stena Bulk 3-4 8. Kelvin Harrap/NZL, Team New Zealand 2-5 9. Frano Brate/CRO 2-6 10. Mate Arapov/CRO 1-7 11. Staffan Lindberg/SWE 0-7 SECRETS REVEALED Ever wondered how top sailors get so good? Snipe racing develops strategic and tactical genius. Top guns Augie Diaz/Jon Rogers and Carol Cronin/Liz Filter/Nancy Haberland have all competed extensively in Snipes. Find out their sailing secrets and check out the Serious Sailing, Serious Fun at http://www.snipeus.org PROFESSIONAL SAILING Olympic gold medallist Iain Percy has denied letting down the GBR Challenge syndicate for the 2007 America's Cup by joining an Italian team instead. Percy has signed for the Clan Des syndicate while fellow gold medallist Ben Ainslie looks certain to join Team New Zealand after Athens. "There's a bit of misconception that my movement is somehow unprofessional," Percy said. "I was never in the GBR Challenge, never under contract. I had no formal obligation to them." Last Friday GBR Challenge pre-empted the Italians' announcement that they had secured Percy, the clear inference being that they were disappointed with him. GBR had used both Percy and Ainslie in their fund-raising presentation, stating Percy would join them in September and Ainslie "when we get full funding". But Percy said the Italians had given him a firm offer that gave him a better opportunity for success. "When I make a decision it's based on the chance of doing well and how much I'm going to enjoy that," Percy said. "I'm also going to have a lot of responsibility too." - Tim Jeffery, The Daily Telegraph, Full story: http://tinyurl.com/yv2yx NEWS BRIEFS * The J/22 Peter Pirate team of skipper Corrie Clement and crew Ali Sharpe, Anna Tunnicliffe, and Nataleigh Vann have been awarded US Sailing's Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal for rescuing a fellow competitor out of cold and choppy waters off Annapolis at last year's Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship in 30 knots of wind. The victim had been in the water for more than five minutes, becoming dangerously close to suffering from hypothermia. Peter Pirate continued to finish the race and successfully filed for redress to recover finish points lost during the rescue. - www.ussailing.org/safety/Rescues. * After no racing was possible yesterday at the Laser Masters Worlds in Bodrum, Turkey due to insufficient winds, the wind gods smiled on the fleet of 141 master sailors with today's racing being held in 20 to 25 knots from the northwest. Complete results for the nine classes are posted: www.laserchampionships.org/worlds04/ * If you're fond of gorgeous scenery and love big, new, slab-sided race boats, you'll really get off on the Carlo Borlenghi images we've posted of the recently complete IMS Worlds in Capri, Italy: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/04/imsworlds/ TRIVIA ANSWER Ed Baird, Terry Neilson, John Bertrand (US), Peter Commette and Glenn Bourke have at least one thing in common…they are all past Laser World Champions. There have been fifteen champions thus far that have emerged from the 24 events to date. For a complete list of past Laser champions: http://www.laserinternational.org/archives/arcwld.htm DUBARRY GORE-TEX SEA BOOTS The original, breathable, waterproof sea boot - and still the best! Tired of boots that don't fit well? Bothered by sweaty, clammy feet? Disappointed with other styles of sea boots? If you have not tried a pair of Dubarry sea boots, take that extra step and see what the fuss is about! Try America's only Gore-Tex lined sea boots with Pittards leather uppers and award-winning, non-slip soles. Not just for foul weather - try the performance range of shoes also available. Visit one of our dealers near you: http://www.dubarryna.com/dubarry_dealers.htm 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 Tom Cagnina: Doug Weitz ('Butt 1590) is undoubtedly correct that some practices used to make weight are unhealthy. However the proposed solution, a 2% fluctuation factor, is absurd. Moreover, couching such a proposal under the guise of "fairness of competition" amounts to rationalizing the breaking of rules to accomodate those who would break them. As the Curmudgeon noted in the same column, that proposal amounts to a 2% increase in permitted weight. If we adopt such thinking, might that not lead down a slippery slope toward permitting 2% fluctuations in other measurements as well, such as sail area, length, and ballast? The next thing we know, someone will be arguing that they need an additional fluctuation factor on top of the original fluctuation factor. Sailors know that their weight fluctuates. It's also their responsibility to sail within the permissible weight limit for their class. It's a simple, straightforward and fair rule. Periodic enforcement of it is fair as well. If one chooses (and it is a choice) to sail so close to the weight limit that they break it periodically, rather than complaining about the rule or rationalizing the reasons for breaking it, one should be prepared to accept the consequences. * From T.L. Lewis: For a couple of decades now the Hobie classes have had minimum weight restrictions. I personally as Beach Captain many years ago was responsible for enforcing those rules at National and World Championships. We'd weigh every crew in at registration, and as per class rules let them carry the weights necessary to meet minimum weight during the regatta, the official scales were always available to the competitors. We'd weigh each of the top ten finishers after each race to ensure that they were, "following the rules". During those enforcements and every now and then a disqualification I usually asked the competitors, if they understood why they were being weighed, never had a one say he or she didn't understand why they were stepping on the scales. I heard some great stories about puking up last night's brewskis out on the course, or that the committee had kept them out there racing too long, saw competitors grabbing clothes and guzzling water as they ran up to weigh-in. Point being, mate, you go racing, you know the rules, play by them, and if you want to live on the razor edge of the minimum or maximum weight rule, know that the only one responsible for you falling off that edge is yourself. * From Will Wagner: I have learned the hard way about the unhealthy side of trying to make weight last minute. I had to lose 15 lbs in two weeks for a last minute regatta, you know full on starvation and dehydration. A month later I found myself in the emergency room, Christmas Eve actually, with a foot that I could not walk on. The diagnosis was gout in a toe joint, which I will have problems with for the rest of my life. The cause was the abuse that I inflicted on my body for over half a mouth to make weight. The regatta wasn't even close to being worth it. * From Craig Coulsen: Let me get this right now! For the benefit of ten round the can sleds the rest of the world is held out of the development of a new grand prix rule. Well done everybody. US grand prix racing is already at the fringes in an international sense and further isolation will only see it lag further behind. Then again you usually get what you deserve. Administrators should be looking to serve the general body of their constituents not just the noisiest. Equally, only a very short sighted industry could think that this is a good thing as you end up with a very small number of owners ordering custom build and the vast majority ordering mass production built to price cruiser racers. The most startling thing is that the national authority carried out a survey of what owners wanted, so the question must be asked, does this move really represent those findings? * From Bruce McPherson: Oh Neptune - hear my prayer... That those in the process of creating new Ocean Racing rules understand the basics! That the proof will be in the chowder: that there must be an honestly chosen panel to separately evaluate and publish results proving the voracity of the system semiannually, showing the strengths and weaknesses from on the water testing with a varied fleet in a wide range of wind and sea. That the insurance people are brought in early on so that the competing boats can and will be insured: that these requirements will be widely and publicly advertised. That the Race Committees and sponsors will be open and creative in devising new formats for racing under these rules in order to promote events accessible to those in need at a modest expense. That there shalt be no politics played. Neptune Rules! * From Phil Smithies (With reference to Richard Hazelton's comment (butt 1589),"like most things, sailing on TV will be pot luck"): Putting Gary Jobson's piece on "ESPN Classic" is typical, the number of people that do not know there even is a ESPN classic is huge. Please take a look at how much sailing is broadcast in Europe, hours every week, covering every facet of the sport. Somebody please step up to the plate and get a deal with Sky Sport or whoever. * From Robert Middlemas: I have to say that I take issue with Rich Hazelton's complaining to ESPN for a supposed program scheduling foul-up. Writing in to ESPN to complain that a show was not aired at a "viewable" time is ludicrous. Doubly so since it was aired at two viewable times, 6 pm and 9 pm PDT. As it was listed in Scuttlebutt #1586, it was on the ESPN Classic channel, not the regular ESPN channel. If one is compelled to write in to a network to complain, fine. Just make sure it's an accurate complaint. I'd be more than disappointed to think that ESPN would not air another sailing show due to inaccurate, scathing complaints registered by the few who couldn't read the program listing correctly. THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS "The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin." - Mark Twain |
