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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 1186 - October 28, 2002Scuttlebutt is a digest of yacht racing news of major significance; commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American emphasis. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere.
IT'S A RECORD
LOUIS VUITTON CUP SERIES Forty per cent of scheduled race days, nine out of 21, have been lost since the series began on October 1, mainly because of high winds. In an attempt to complete the seven outstanding flights, the committee has now scheduled two races, Flights 3 and 4, for Monday (which is Tuesday in Auckland). The first warning signal will not be fired before 10:30 AM, and racing will be conducted on the alternate 12.5-mile course. The weather forecast is marginal, with winds expected to approach the upper wind limits again, but the Race Committee and the teams are more optimistic than they've been in days. The International Jury released an interpretation on Monday that gives the Race Committee broad discretion over how to best complete racing in the limited number of race days left on the schedule. "It is unreasonable to expect the race committee to accurately predict how the schedule may be affected by weather, breakdowns during the first race of a two-race day and postponements at the request of competitors," said the statement signed by jury chairman Bryan Willis of England. "Therefore, the Race Committee would not be in error if it schedules two races on any race or reserve day when it judges it necessary to complete a series." The interpretation goes on to say the Race Committee shall issue an updated schedule for the remainder of the round, each time a change has to be made. As such, Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio issued an updated schedule Monday afternoon that follows on page two. If more races are lost early in the week, Reggio said he intends to continue sailing two flights of races per day as long as is necessary to maintain two reserve days at the end of the schedule. - Louis Vuitton Cup media center, www.louisvuittoncup.yahoo.com/
MONDAY'S SCHEDULE
SCOREBOARD
LONG DAY AT THE OFFICE Given the huge sail areas that have to be handled from the moment their humped aboard, until the time their packed back in their bags, it's interesting to hear that the physical side isn't the first major demand on the crew. Surely two races take their toll? "I don't think so because we've done far harder training days," says Stagg. "During the build up to this event our daily routine would involve going to the gym for an hour or so, do a very hard session and then go on to do our sail training. Also, if you do eight pre-starts it's a lot harder than doing two races." - Matthew Sheahan, Louis Vuitton website, full story: www.louisvuittoncup.yahoo.com/story762.html
ULLMAN SAILS WINS SAN FRANCISCO CHALLENGE
NEWS BRIEFS * Team Dennis Conner's request for redress has been denied by the International Jury. The case brought by Stars & Stripes against the Race Committee was based on the fact that during their match with the GBR Challenge the average wind speed was below the mandatory seven knots by as much as 0.11 knots for a period of approximately 28 seconds in the 15 minute lead up to the preparatory signal. The Jury would be satisfied that the equipment and the computer alarm program provided a reliable method for the Race Committee to ensure that the requirements of the wind speed conditions were met, and hence that the RC's decision not to postpone was correct. The Jury denied the request for redress, the race will not have to be re-sailed and the result of the match stands. - Read the whole story on the Louis Vuitton Cup website: www.louisvuittoncup.yahoo.com/story742.html * St. Petersburg YC has announced the names of the ten skippers who will compete in the Rolex Osprey Cup Grade 1 match racing event: Betsy Alison (ISAF Rank: 18), Charlie Arms (23), Evan Brown, (23), Giulia Conti (5), Arabella Denvir (33), Marie Faurˇ, Hy¸res (6), Sandy Hayes (29), Capucine Pin (122) & Deborah Willits (44). The four-day event begins October 31 and will be sailed in Sonars. - www.spyc.org
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net) * From Paul Lowell: Replacing Holmberg with Dickson is not a bad management decision if the Boat is suspected of being a bit down on boatspeed. The only way to win a match race in a slower boat is to win the start and control from on top. Certainly this is a daunting task, but I'll take a bayonet fighter like Dickson in this circumstance. * From: Richard Clark: The icy gaze of a U-boat Commander were, I believe, the words used to describe Chris Dickson years ago when he first appeared on the Americas Cup scene. To be sure in the years since he has enjoyed his share of controversy, some well deserved others not so. But damn it, you have to give him credit, he is a great sailor who has earned the trust of "The Oracle" by winning him yacht races all over the World. Team New Zealand won the Cup because they were a team and as a team they competed around the World including the Whitbread under the inspirational soul of Sir Peter Blake. It was a long term campaign that bore fruit. Many of the present contenders/pretenders have not raced as a team, anywhere else. This has to be an enormous disadvantage.If anyone can get a grip on Oracle I believe it is Chris Dickson. So, some will be upset, but cream rises and it is not without a certain irony that Chris Dickson now has his best opportunity to finally and deservedly win the bloody great mug. Now, if only he could get past the guys on the black boat! * From Patricia Lawrence, US Sailing One-Design Class Council Chair: One-design sailors at the US Sailing One-Design Class Council meetings held in Marina del Rey, CA discussed some of the pending ISAF submissions which will be on the November ISAF meeting agenda. Many representatives of Olympic Classes, ISAF classes, and National classes were represented during these discussions. The ODCC unanimously voted for the following resolutions, which were adopted by the US Sailing Board. - US Sailing is opposed to ISAF rules or regulations that disenfranchise class organizations and their members. ISAF classes should retain their autonomy and class management, including their class rules and the rule amendment procedures. - US Sailing opposes any move by ISAF to place additional age limits on participation in World Championship events. - One-design classes have established class rules and the proper procedure for amending these class rules is a vote of the class association members. I am requesting specific examples of how ISAF submissions, specifically: 026 Eligibility Rule ISAF Sailors, 051 Events of the Olympic Classes, 063 Age Limit, and 139 Propulsion, affects one-design classes. Please send me your letters by October 30 and I will ensure that the US delegates to the ISAF meeting receive them, PLLawrence@aol.com. Additionally, I'd like to invite one-design sailors to continue this discussion on the ODCC listserv. You can enroll by going to www.ussailing.org/odcc * From Ralph Taylor (re: the proposals for ISAF to take greater control of continental and world championships): It looks to me like we're seeing a culture clash between a European, aristocracy-centered view of how sailing should be governed and an American-inspired, don't-trust-the-government philosophy. (Daniel Webster: "No man's property is safe while the Legislature is in session.") Clearly, some in ISAF believe that classes and national authorities can't be trusted. In contrast, we believe that democracy is not "mob rule." They claim "there is too much at stake for the sailors.." I suspect ISAF recognition might prove to be the kiss of death for classes if these proposals are adopted. Does ISAF respond to the needs of sailors? Look at what happened for women in the Olympics; in the triple-handed event, they wanted match racing in fast boats -- they get fleet racing in slow boats. 0 for 2. * From Fred Schroth: Please read this note as a contribution whose author's goal is a solution. It is not meant as a slam to the ISAF. Currently, with respect to scheduling, ISAF is the problem. The rest of us cannot schedule in a rational manner until a system led by the ISAF is in place. The International regattas are the events that must be put on the schedule so that the rest of us can schedule around them. Schedulers can only work with each other when a proper pecking order is described, managed and the communication is constant. Here is one man's solution. Web sites are a great tool for this sort of plan. ISAF must tentatively schedule at least 10 years in advance and publish rock solid schedules at least five years in advance. Then will we be able to schedule regional and world events four years ahead. And nationals three years ahead. And District and special events two years ahead. Local sailors need plenty of time to plan and schedule events and until we make a solid plan that allows At least a full season of advance planning for those local sailors we will not have a system that serves our needs. I am all for ISAF control and centralization as soon as the ISAF has demonstrated that it can schedule its own events properly I will be interested in hearing further proposals about "how ISAF might help the next level down." * From Hugh Wainman-Wood: Is ISAF President Paul Henderson kidding about requiring a 4-part mainsheet? If 4 part means 4:1 purchase then I guess I'd better sell my Laser, because the class rules say I can't change my 3:1 mainsheet so I'd be offside no matter what I did! I get that he's thinking about making 'pumping' your mainsheet impractical, but I think he'd better look at some different ideas. * From Bill Muster: Can you tell me how to rig a 4-part mainsheet on a Windsurfer?
AWARDS The President's Industry Award went to Vanguard Sailboats for their long commitment to the sport of sailing. The President's Award went to the group of people who helped create and execute the UBS Challenge This group included UBS Financial Services, Octagon Marketing, the late Chuck Kober who revived the Prince of Wales Championship, Kirk Brown who currently oversees the Prince of Wales Championship and US Sailing staff member Linda Christofersen. - www.ussailing.org
OPINION
CUSTOM INSTRUMENTS
AROUND ALONE
Standings Fleet Positions 2200 UTC October 27, 2002
CLASS 2:
PRADA Esquier said work on ITA-80 was continuing at an Auckland boatyard within a set timetable but the amount of time available to test the boat against its sister, ITA-74, before the quarterfinals would be limited. Prada has raced ITA-74 in both the first and second challenger rounds. "We wish to be able to try or test 80 against 74 as soon as possible," he said. "We have very limited time and we're working very hard at it." - Fox Sports website, full story: foxsports.lycos.com
QUOTE / UNQUOTE * "What you see is what you get. Our budget hasn't allowed for any tricks, and it will be difficult to beat the likes of OneWorld and Alinghi." - Dennis Conner as reported on October 26 by Di Pearson on the Sailing Online website, www.sailing-online.com.au/welcome.cfm
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