SCUTTLEBUTT No. 603 - July 7, 2000
HERE WE GO AGAIN
Yet another billionaire has entered the race for the America's Cup - this
time a Swedish media mogul who has spent $1 million buying Team New Zealand
secrets. Jan Stenbeck, whose companies are worth $US20 million, early today
launched his Victory Challenge campaign in Gothenburg with the help of four
New Zealanders. Stenbeck is the man who bought NZL38, one of the original
Black Magics from 1995, for $1 million. Some members of Team New Zealand
were unhappy with the sale, believing he had got it for a song.
Part of the deal was that some of the New Zealanders would go to
Scandinavia to help the new syndicate learn the ropes of sailing a Cup
boat. Grinder Jonathan Macbeth and veteran bowman Dean Phipps - who appears
to have left Team NZ - are staying with the Swedes until September. Another
bowman, Nick Heron, and boat boss Roy Mason will help get the boat ready to
sail again. When asked why Stenbeck had not joined in on the chequebook
raid for Team New Zealand sailors, syndicate spokesman Bert Willborg
replied: "He didn't need to. He bought the boat."
Black Magic II was this morning rechristened Cristina, named after the
daughter of entrepreneur Stenbeck. The boat is still predominantly black,
with the silver fern removed from its sides, replaced by the logos of
Stenbeck's media and telecommunication companies.
Sweden's Olympic Star class sailor Mats Johansson will be skipper of the
Victory Challenge, with a mostly Swedish crew. The team will sail Cristina
in Gothenburg during the northern summer, and move south to Italy for
training during the winter. They will build their own race boat next year,
but are still negotiating with designers for the syndicate, whose budget is
a secret. - Suzanne McFadden, NZ Herald, http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ac2000/
MATCH RACING
Dean Barker, skipper of America's Cup holders Team New Zealand, has grabbed
the lead on the third day of the Swedish Match Cup in Marstrand. The young
Kiwi scored four wins and suffered no losses on a grey, cold and blustery
day, to take a two point advantage at the top of the scoreboard.
It was a good day too for local veteran Magnus Holmberg and his Stora Enso
team, who moved up from fifth to second place after chalking up three
victories in front of his home crowd. This whole event is his brainchild,
and he is as much of a drawcard with the Swedish spectators as the more
world renowned America's Cup and Olympic skippers.
Peter Gilmour and his Pizza-La team, Frenchman Bertrand Pace and Danish
amateur Sten Mohr, share third place. The Dane tumbled off his pedestal
today, having led the series for the first two days, when the breeze kicked
in with some force, he only score one win, and suffered three losses.
Still hanging in with a chance of making the cut to the semi-finals is the
Young Australia America's Cup skipper James Spithill, who managed two
victories and one loss today. One of the scalps he claimed was Mohr, but
he lost to Olympic medallist Hans Wallen of Sweden, before beating local
skipper Martin Angsell.
The blustery conditions, with the westerly wind in the 15 to 18 knot range,
testing the sailors, as they fought the elements as well as the opposition.
However the uncomfortable weather didn't discourage a good spectator crowd,
who were rewarded with some great sailing.
The event consists of a round robin, in which all the skippers sail against
each other once, before the top four progress to the semi-finals and finals
at the weekend. This is the fifth event of eight on the Swedish Match
Tour, which concludes with the Bermuda's Colorcraft Gold Cup in October. -
John Roberson
Scoreboard after day Three:
1. Dean Barker (New Zealand) 7-1
2. Magnus Holmberg (Sweden) 5-2
3= Sten Mohr (Denmark) 5-3
3= Bertrand Pace (France) 5-3
3= Peter Gilmour (Australia) 5-3
6. James Spithill (Australia) 4-3
7= Jesper Bank (Denmark) 3-4
7= Hans Wallen (Sweden) 3-4
7= Luc Pillot (France) 3-4
10. Andy Beadsworth (Britain) 2-5
11= Martin Angsell (Sweden) 1-6
11= Jes Gram-Hansen (Denmark) 1-6
Website: http://www.swedishmatchcup.com
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS VIC-MAUI RACE
About 11.09 HST amid great excitement, GRAND ILLUSION crossed the finish
line under spinnaker, breaking the Vic-Maui race record held by Roy
Disney's PYEWACKET by a huge margin. A level-rated sled in the ULDB70
Association, she sailed an impeccable race in near-perfect conditions. She
was the first boat to finish, and looks like being the winner of Class A on
corrected time. GRAND ILLUSION completed the 2308 mile course from
Victoria, British Columbia to Lahaina, Maui in about 9 days, 2 hours,
cutting something like 17 hours off PYEWACKET's 1996 record of
approximately 9 days, 20 hours.
GRAND ILLUSION of course is no stranger to Maui. Owned by James McDowell,
she sails out of Lahaina Yacht Club. Her hailing port is Redondo Beach
California, and she has an impressive racing record in the Eastern Pacific.
She has completed five Transpacs (First Overall in 1999) and more than 20
Mexican races (with First Overall in the San Diego-Puerto Vallarta Race
2000). She was First ULDB70 in the 1999 Ensenada Race, and she was ULDB70
Season Champion in 1990 and 1992.
The remaining boats now heading for the finish have been sailing in 8-24
knot winds. Those in Class A and Class B have gybed onto port tack after
over 1000 miles on a starboard reach and run. At roll call, RENEGADE had
logged 309 miles (averaging about 13 knots) and was 217 miles from Lahaina.
She is estimated to finish around 0450 HST tomorrow. SHOW ME and MIDNIGHT
SPECIAL have both put in almost identical runs to yesterday's, and hold the
same positions in Class A.
FARR-ARI continues to lead Class B. Both she and PURSUIT logged almost 200
miles apiece, while JOIA, lying third, got in 184. PENDRAGON III is back on
a direct track for Lahaina after her jog to the south a few days ago.
In Class C, the fleet is closing up even more. The competition here is
really heating up as they race towards Maui. This class now includes boats
placed from third to seventh in the fleet on corrected time. So while
NIGHTRUNNER, GREY HOUND, TURICUM and WINDS OF TIME hold on to their class
standings from yesterday, GREY HOUND is presently third overall, WINDS OF
TIME fourth, NIGHT RUNNER fifth, WINDSHADOWX sixth, and TURICUM seventh
overall. This is where the action is going to be over the next few days.
In Class D, ORIOLE got in 181 miles. The next-best performance was
TETHRA's, with 157. This fleet is more dispersed. ORIOLE is 761 miles from
the finish. As long as she can maintain her average 180 miles a day, she
has a good shot at first overall.
Web Site: http://www.www.vicmaui.org
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the next level.
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net)
Letters selected to be printed are routinely edited for clarity, space (250
words max) and to exclude unfounded speculation or personal attacks. You
only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine
if others disagree.
-- From Mark Chisnell - The quotes you used from Leah Newbold in the last
'Butt were from a story that was her own work. I'm sure the source of your
error (on the Volvo Ocean Race site) will also be corrected soon. Although
I've written a lot of the material on that site, I had nothing to do with
this one and Leah should get the byline and credit. I might also add that
to get a complete understanding of what Leah's saying, it's well worth
reading the whole article.
CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: Take Mark's advice and read all of Leah Newbold's
comments about women sailing in the Volvo Ocean Race:
http://www.volvooceanrace.org/news/news_index.html
RACING ON TV
Sunday, July 9 at 2:30 pm EST, the BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup will be
broadcast on ESPN2. This Jobson Sailing production is a one half hour
digest of the great action from this event on the women's match racing
circuit.
2001 TRANSPAC
New breeds of smaller boats will be running with special motivation in the
41st Transpacific Yacht Race in 2001: their own versions of the traditional
Barn Door. Trophies will be awarded to those first to finish, boat for
boat, in classes being defined to a new Transpac 40/50 Rule by a committee
of prominent designers and handicappers.
The suggestion and gift of a first-to-finish trophy for 50-footers came
from Transpac campaigner Don Clothier of Hawaii, who sailed Tower, a
Lidgard 45, to second place in Division 4 in 1999. The Transpac board of
directors has taken Clothier's suggestion one step farther with a 40-foot
class, as well.
The Barn Door - so-called for its size and shape as a 3 x 4 1/2-foot,
3-inch thick plaque hand-carved from native Hawaiian koa wood - is one of
the more unusual and most coveted trophies in sailing. Officially called
the Transpacific Yacht Club Perpetual Trophy, it has been awarded since
1949 to the fastest monohull in the biennial 2,225-nautical mile race from
Los Angeles to Honolulu and has been claimed by some of the legendary
competitors of the sport.
But competition for the Barn Door, because of its prominence and tradition,
has been exclusively among large ultralight displacement boats (ULDBs) in
recent years and has often overshadowed the rest of the race - thus, this
move to increase recognition for the sailing skills and technological
advances among entries of all sizes.
The committee for the Transpac 40/50 Rule includes Bill Lee, Alan Andrews
and Jim Pugh, all of whom have designed Barn Door winners, along with Dan
Nowlan, Offshore Director of US Sailing, and Jerry Montgomery, 2001
Transpac handicapper and entries chairman. Montgomery was skipper of
Ralphie, the Santa Cruz 52 that was the overall winner on corrected time in
1997.
The rule, prepared by Lee in its initial draft, lists some basic
guidelines, including:
-- Maximum length for 40-footers: 40.00 feet; maximum length for
50-footers: 50.00 feet. Grandfather of length for existing yachts:
40-footers 43.00 feet, 50-footers 53.00 feet.
-- Minimum displacement for 40-footers: 10,000 pounds; minimum displacement
for 50-footers: 16,000 pounds.
-- Maximum of one keel and one rudder.
-- Water ballast located within the hull and deck structure is allowed.
-- Configuration may be masthead, fractional or masthead/fractional. Code 0
jibs are allowed.
-- Maximum spinnaker pole length for 40-footers: 18 feet; maximum spinnaker
pole length for 50-footers: 22.5 feet.
Lee, whose sleek Merlin revolutionized Transpac in 1977 with a record that
stood for 20 years, called the current draft rule "a framework to start
with. The numbers are quite arbitrary," Lee said. "The first round of
numbers I wrote for the committee may be arbitrary, but by the time it goes
to the public the numbers will be fine-tuned to generate the best possible
yacht for the purpose.
"One way to look at it would be to think of what the best one-design yacht
would be for average sailors to race to Hawaii, [say] a giant Melges 24
+/-, then lock those dimensions and allow the balance of the design to vary
within the box. . . . I think we are looking for the yacht the most people
will buy, not the most radical yacht. Because of the grandfather, it is not
necessary to select dimensions which embrace existing yachts, but rather it
is possible to think on a clean sheet of paper and select dimensions which
will yield the best possible new yacht for the objectives."
Martin said, "A great deal of latitude will be allowed in hull shape, foil
shape, deck layout, rig configuration and other items. Yachts must meet the
ORC requirements and stringent stability requirements. In many respects
these yachts will be defined by a system similar to that used for the
Whitbread (now Volvo) 60s, although they will most likely be lighter boats
for the length. The measurement system is very much intended to be a simple
development rule as opposed to a handicap rule."
While competing for first-to-finish trophies, Transpac 40s and 50s also
will qualify for the race's traditional handicap classes.
The Transpacific Yacht Club has embraced the Cruising class but jettisoned
the name. It will now be called the Aloha class, more in tune with the
spirit and tradition of the race. The class was established in 1997 to
accommodate older displacement designs, but experience in the first two
showings convinced Transpac that the name didn't do the competitors credit.
"These men and women weren't just cruising," TPYC Commodore Sandy Martin
said. "They were racing all-out." - Rich Roberts
Website: http://www.transpacificyc.org
GRAPHICS
There is no reason the great graphics on your boat can't be exactly
replicated on your crew shirts and other sailing attire. But if you want it
done right, you should really talk with Frank Whitton at Pacific Yacht
Embroidery. Whether you need tee shirts, polos or jackets - Frank is the
man. Get in touch with him now and find out how affordable it can be. Frank
delivers!
Pacyacht@aol.com/619-226-8033
CALENDAR
* July 8 & 9: Junior Olympic Sailing Festival-North Coast, Port Clinton
Yacht Club. Youngsters, ages 10-19, in Laser, Laser Radial, CFJ, Club 420,
Thistle, and Optimist classes. http://www.portclintonyachtclub.com/
* July 13-15: USSA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival-Hawaii, Hawaii Waikiki
Yacht Clubs. Laser, Club 420, and El Toro. guynsyd@lava.net
* July 16-21: I-LYA Junior Bay Week, Put-in-Bay Yacht Club. Thistle, CFJ,
and Laser
* July 22: Mystic Seaport Museum Classic Yacht Cruise. (Mystic, Shelter
Island, Fischers Island, Block Island and Newport). Entries are by
invitation only - boats must be built before 1952 and be in original
condition. http://www.iyrs.org
OLYMPICS
New Zealand' s Olympic Yachting squad is now complete with today's
inclusion of America' s Cup sailors Gavin Brady & Jamie Gale in the Star
class and Peter Fox in the Laser for the Sydney Olympic Games beginning in
September.
Brady and Gale ensured New Zealand' s place in the Star class at the Sydney
Games when they finished 7th (and within the specified Olympic
qualification cut-off) at the 2000 Star World Championships in Annapolis,
Maryland in May. Brady is rated as one of the world' s best keelboat
helmsmen and match racing skippers. He has competed in two America' s Cup
campaigns, firstly with Chris Dickson' s Tag Heuer team in 1995 and then
with Paul Cayard' s AmericaOne syndicate this year. Gale has just completed
this third America' s Cup campaign. In 1992 and 1995 he sailed for New
Zealand and most recently with Ed Baird' s Young America Challenge for the
New York Yacht Club. Gale will be competing at his second Olympic Games
having sailed in the Soling class at Atlanta in 1996 with Kelvin Harrap and
Sean Clarkson, finishing 14th. - ISAF website,
http://www.sailing.org/today/whatsnew.html
SPEED SAILING
(Following are two excerpts from a story filed by Washington Post Sports
Columnist Angus Phillips after he went sailing on the Maxi-catamaran Club
Med.)
* How does it feel to go 30, powered by air? It's a question I never
expected to answer firsthand. But I was on the bow of (Grant) Dalton's
six-week-old Club Med, snapping photos of the windswept crew Monday when
someone in the windward cockpit of the 109-foot catamaran threw two thumbs up.
"Thirty knots!" came the cry, barely audible over the wind.
I glanced at sheets of spray flying off the leeward hull, which is
decorated by the image of a slender young woman in a yellow bikini. The
windward hull, similarly bedecked, lifted gently from the surface. All you
heard was the rush of water and a machine-gun splatter of spray.
A sailboat you could water-ski behind - barefoot! We were gobbling up
miles, easily overtaking motorboats in a 22-knot southwesterly blow,
scudding along beside the America's Cup course where two decades ago
plodding 12-meters battled at 7 knots for yachting's oldest trophy.
Sailing's new face? "This may be the future," said Dalton, a chisel-chinned
New Zealander. "It's a lot easier to understand [than the America's Cup or
Whitbread, now the Volvo]. Size and speed are the angle. What's the angle
with the Volvo?"
There is also an element of danger. It's one thing to zip around Brenton
Reef off Newport at 30 knots, quite another to roar along at that speed off
Antarctica for days on end. Everyone knows catamarans are as stable upside
down as they are right-side up. What's to keep them from flipping among the
icebergs?
"In 75 knots" of wind, said Dalton, "we're tumbleweed."
"Oh," I asked innocently, "you just keep rolling and rolling?"
"No," he said. "Just the once."
* Two carbon fiber sisters to Club Med are under construction in
Cherbourg, France, including one for American multihull wizard Cam Lewis of
Maine, a crewman on Commodore Explorer in 1993 when it became the first
sailboat to circle the globe in under 80 days to claim the Jules Verne Trophy.
Lewis is urgently seeking a sponsor for his Team Adventure, though it
appears he'll be on the starting line one way or another. He was in Newport
on Monday, lobbying 1992 America's Cup winner Bill Koch for financial support.
It's a peculiar pitch - put up $5 million on the long shot you'll win $1
million, with the strong possibility of catastrophe sandwiched in. But
adventure is a fine selling point for potential sponsors, and there's no
shortage of folks willing to risk their lives for a paycheck and an
adrenaline jolt. They used to sail around Cape Horn in wooden tubs just to
chase whale oil, after all." - Angus Phillips, Washington Post
Full story: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53719-2000Jul5.html
THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
If everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something.
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