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SCUTTLEBUTT 1773 - February 10, 2005Scuttlebutt is a digest 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. COMMENTARY That's it. No more. I am physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. I have leaned so far into the barrel of my resource that there has been a danger of me tipping arse-up and floundering like the Duke of Clarence in his Malmsey wine. I would just like some time now to catch up with my family and friends after what has been a grueling few months. The tank is empty and if anyone catches me going anywhere near TeamEllen.com ever again they have my permission to shoot me. This has not just been about 71 days 14 hours 18 minutes and, of course, 33 seconds of seat-of-the-pants internet. There was all the flapping about in Falmouth beforehand with the red, amber and green status. Is she going, isn't she? What's the weather like in the Azores? Look, I wanted to say, just get on with it please, my nerve ends are in tatters. But since the start, if Ellen MacArthur thinks it's been tough, then for us avid watchers it has been non-stop, hardly time to draw breath. I reckon I've done every sail change, ground the gears, been up the mast a dozen times and pulled halyards. And I don't even know what a halyard looks like. MacArthur may just have become the first A list internet sports star, for her website kept me, and countless others, in touch where previously, as with Robin Knox-Johnston on his own epic voyage in 1969, or the astronauts disappearing behind the dark side of the moon, the drama lay in not knowing. There has been a sense of personalizing what in reality is the most singular of achievements. Since November I have been hooked, line and sinker, by this remarkable endeavour and if Ellen MacArthur's Global Challenge is not out for PlayStation2 before I go cold turkey I shall want to know the reason why. - Mike Selvey, The Guardian, full story: http://sport.guardian.co.uk/sailing/story/0,10087,1408814,00.html?gusrc=rss QUOTE / UNQUOTE * There have been more men and women traveling in space than have sailed single-handedly round the world. To be one of those few is an honor indeed, but to have been around the planet faster than anyone else puts Dame Ellen MacArthur on a pedestal for concerted admiration. - Bob Fisher, The Guardian, http://tinyurl.com/3sm4k * Sailing around the world is the nautical equivalent of climbing Everest. Making the circumnavigation alone and without stopping for supplies or rest is a bit like making the ascent without oxygen or sherpas. To undertake a solo attempt on a multi-hull vessel -- a feat that only five sailors had attempted and only one had completed -- pushes the imagination (and perhaps the analogy) to something close to impossible, maybe something akin to scrambling up the world's tallest peak barefoot. - G. Bruce Knecht, The Wall Street Journal, http://tinyurl.com/4j7hu COUNTER-POINT I have a distinct childhood recollection of Francis Chichester arriving at Plymouth to cheering crowds and a flotilla of hooting boats in May 1967. It's not quite up there with the assassination of President Kennedy, Geoff Hurst's disputed goal in the World Cup final and Martha Longhurst's heart attack in the snug of the Rovers Return as iconic 60s television moments, but it unquestionably meant something, even to a 10-year-old whose only exposure to sailing was the boating lake in the local park. Chichester's solo circumnavigation of the globe (the first with only one stop) caught the imagination of the country. His homecoming, after 220 days at sea, attracted 250,000 well-wishers; commemorative mugs were struck his boat, Gipsy Moth IV, was taken to Greenwich to be exhibited beside the famous tea clipper, the Cutty Sark. In a brilliant symbolic gesture, he was knighted at Greenwich, the Queen dubbing him Sir Francis by touching his shoulders with the same sword Queen Elizabeth I had used to knight his namesake, Sir Francis Drake. One bright (then still newish and hopeful) Elizabethan age was proudly nodding to another. Chichester's record meant less than the historical resonances. He was described not as a sportsman but as an "adventurer". He was claiming a place in history, not competing to be sports personality of the year. Almost 40 years later, Ellen MacArthur's record-breaking round-the-world voyage has generated markedly less euphoria. Dead Ringers lampoons her mercilessly. One newspaper diarist demanded a news blackout - "It's the only way she's ever going to stop." "When she completes her solo round-the-world trip, can she take the stabilizers off?" mocked a letter-writer in the Daily Mail. One columnist described MacArthur's online photo as "the most heart-sinking image to be beamed down a webcam since Leslie Grantham appeared to be encouraging a young lady to suck her index finger". There were waves of protest from readers, yet quite a few eddies of agreement, too, from those who thought MacArthur's publicity-savvy voyage a pointless, self-serving exercise. She divides the nation in a way that Chichester (and, I imagine, Drake) never did. Why? - Stephen Moss, The Guardian Read the rest of this amazing commentary: http://sport.guardian.co.uk/sailing/story/0,10087,1407921,00.html SAIL MAGAZINE NAMES HARKEN AS PITTMAN EDITOR'S CHOICE The Harken 75 mm Carbo Ratchamatic® has been named a winner in SAIL Magazine's Freeman K. Pittman Editor's Choice. "The Ratchamatic® is best employed for trimming muscle on the mainsail, jib, and spinnaker. In light air, the block spins freely in both directions. The ratchet is triggered when loaded, and you can adjust the trigger point to suit your needs." This award honors Freeman Pittman, a technical editor of SAIL. After Freeman passed away in 1996, SAIL has kept his memory alive by seeking out new products that embody the qualities he valued. http://www.harken.com/scuttlebutt/ratchamatic-details.htm HERE'S YOUR CHANCE … If you act quickly, could become a crew member of the Sausalito Challenge America's Cup syndicate, but you'll need deep pockets. According to a posting on the syndicate's website, "The Sausalito Challenge will offer a racing crew slot on its America's Cup yacht to the most qualified person offering a participation fee of at least 10 million Euro. Although you do not have to be an expert sailor, you need to be able to take the time to train and be in good physical shape. This is an integral spot on the race boat and we will expect the person to perform and learn like the rest of the sailing team. (This is not the guest spot normally referred as the 17th or 18th man.)" As an added incentive, the lucky person who is selected will have the "Rights to buy Team merchandise at discounted rates." For more details: www.sausalitochallenge2007.com/race_with_us.html IRC UPDATE U.S. IRC Executive Director, Barry Carroll says he expects that as many as 3,000 boats in the U.S. could have new IRC certificates in the next few years at a Sail Newport luncheon today which gathered New England sailing luminaries. "The IRC rule is being met with very positive response," he says, and he cited over fifty clubs, organizations and regattas that have already committed to use the new rule this year alone. He also announced today that the first IRC National Championship will take place at Key West Race Week in 2006. Carroll reports that the new racing rule has come to the U.S. because, "A lot of the major clubs and organizers in the United States were realizing the declining interest in big boat sailing and the problems with different handicap systems." The big regattas face difficulties, he says, in the shuffle to get all of the rating organized the day before big events. Carroll says that the goal of the newly formed U.S. IRC is to increase racing participation nationwide by providing a rule that is "more user-friendly with universal acceptance." The new rule, Carroll says, will make regional racing much more practical. An IRC rating will enable boats to compete in many different regional areas with the same rating thus avoiding having to acquire a PHRF certificate for every area. Citing the origination of the rule in European racing, Carroll reports that IRC has ISAF status and is a proven success as it is currently used in 31 countries by over 6,500 boat owners. Responding to questions about what impact IRC may have on PHRF racing, Carroll said, "IRC is completely compatible with, and actually helps, PHRF." "There are a lot of PHRF groups around the country already signed on to the concept" he emphasizes. Additionally, Carroll predicted that there will be no drop in the total amount of PHRF certificates issued even as the IRC is expected to be quickly embraced across the U.S. Carroll further explained that the IRC will have a positive impact on PHRF racing because, he says, "It will allow us to be careful not to put a lot of new modern boats on top of the PHRF fleet and drive the constituency of PHRF out the bottom." Carroll adds, "Those are the guys that are driving twenty and twenty-five year-old boats, sailing as hard as they can, spending as much as their budget allows and they don't want to be blown out of the water." Carroll cautioned the sailing industry leaders, "If we loose those guys, we loose the foundation of sailing." For more highlights of the presentation: www.sailnewport.org ORYX QUEST 2005 We have just completed 4 days of the Oryx Quest. So far it has been fantastic racing. Yesterday all day and most of the morning we have been locked into place with Geronimo. Yesterday drifting upwind with a Code 0 at 3 knots and today blast reaching at 30 knots the boat speeds have been identical. The cat/tri argument has only just begun. With her canting rig Geronimo is faster than she has ever been, as we are with our new sails and weight saving program. We have hardly lost sight of her since the start, and at the park up behind the mountains of Oman we could see all 4 boats at once. Now it is Geronimo and us heading towards the Maldives at 25 knots, with Daedalus not far behind, and Cheyenne taking a different route to the East and much closer to India. - Brian Thompson aboard Doha 2006. Standings @1901 UTC Wednesday: 1. Doha 2006 (Brian Thompson) 21,597 miles to finish; 2. Geronimo (Olivier de Kersauson) 13 mile behind leader; 3. Cheyenne (David Scully) 205 mbl; 4. Daedalus (Tony Bullimore) 304 mbl. - www.oryxquest.com ULLMAN TORNADO SAILS SWEEP 2005 OLYMPIC CLASSES REGATTA Ullman Sails powered Olympic Silver Medalists of Johnny Lovell and Charlie Ogletree to a dominant victory in the Tornado class at the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta by winning 5 of the 6 races. Ullman Sails swept all 1st places with the German Olympic Team of Roland Gabler and Gunnar Strukmann winning the other race and finishing 2nd in the regatta. Whether you are racing One-Design or Offshore, Olympic level competition or local club regattas, contact your nearest Ullman Sails loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com for the "Fastest Sails on the Planet". OPTIONS The America's Cup could be a future option for Ellen MacArthur, says the mastermind behind Switzerland's stunning triumph in 2003. MacArthur is already looking for new challenges after breaking the solo round-the-world sailing record. "She'd be inspirational for any team she was part of," said Grant Simmer. "Her determination and her ability to manage a project would be a great asset. As long as she doesn't want to do everything alone, then that's fine." Simmer, now focused on plotting the Swiss cup defense off Valencia in 2007, also believes MacArthur's achievement in breaking the round-the-world solo record is a massive boost for sailing. - BBC, full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/sailing/4249719.stm I-14 WORLDS Auckland, New Zealand - Tuesday's conditions for Round Robin 2 and Semifinals at the International 14 Worlds were ideal for Teams racing - flat seas and steady breezes under a near cloudless sky. Australia experienced their first loss of the series in the morning, losing to the USA. After an hour ashore the top four teams (Australia, Great Britain A, Canada, and the USA) sailed off in the semi finals in conditions that were a little fresher and produced some spectacular rides, especially on the down wind gybes! The benefits of short course racing with numerous starts was made obvious by the improvement of the boat handling and sailing skills of the crews. The format for the semis was the first 2 of 3 races. Both winning teams were able to win the first two races, so sailing the third was not necessary. The semifinals were won by Australia and Great Britain A. For complete daily race results, go to www.takapunaboating.org.nz NEWS BRIEFS * It's official - The World Sailing Speed Record Council had ratified Ellen MacArthur's Around the World, outright, non-stop, singlehanded speed record in B&Q. Elapsed Time: 71 days 14 hours 18 minutes 33 seconds; Average speed: 12.66 knots. Note: The Round the World route is 21,760 nautical miles and it is on this distance that the WSSR record average speed is based. - www.sailspeedrecords.com/ * ISAF recently released the new edition of rule 42 interpretations adapted for the 2005-2008 Racing Rules of Sailing and to integrate feedback from the first release. These interpretations provide excellent guidance on interpreting rule 42 and enforcing it on the water. The new version of the interpretations is now online: www.sailing.org/rrs2005/42interpretations2005.pdf * At the end of the 16th day on the water, Bruno Peyron's Orange II had covered 8643 miles and was 1860 miles ahead of the RTW record pace set by Steve Fossett's Cheyenne. The maxi-catamaran covered 497 miles in previous 24 hours, and was averaging 22.5 knots for the passage so far. - www.maxicatamaran-orange.com/ "SCUBA DIVER LOST!" Divers around the world rely on SeaMarshall locator beacons as the ultimate surface recovery gear. Good to 100 meters without an external housing, SeaMarshall dive beacons augment your crew's on-deck man-overboard recovery system, too. For details on this essential safety gear for divers, and sailors, contact Chip Barber: mailto:admin@chbarber.com; http://www.chbarber.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (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 Alex Haworth (re Magnus Wheatley's comments): Indeed Maxi Cat sailing has moved on: Orange 2 is in a class of one! The Oryx Quest is the throw-back: obsolete boats, of varying vintage, soon to be in procession. Are you saying Ellen Macarthur's campaign was not a fully paid up sponsorship project against the clock, for an existing record, 'because it's there'? If the 'avoidance of real racing' is your objection, maybe you would like to explain why Macarthur - at level stakes, solo - has been absent from the Figaro and Open 60 Tri classes containing the highest density of talent? Offshore Challenges are obviously a world class company. Their technological/ communication developments alone should make them a clear contender for the Queens Award for Innovation, 2006. Macarthur's consistent professionalism puts her up there with Armstrong, Redgrave, Schumacher and Gebrselassie. Surely you can recognize a parallel drive and intensity in Peyron (whatever your personal views on the man)? The fundamental aim is the same: better an existing record. If you were the executive for B+Q/ Castorama, you would be questioning why the team had spent their budget on the diluted coverage of the Open 60 Tri circuit (rather than successfully executing the niche media event - on the back of a World Class sporting performance - witnessed in the last 70+ days). If you have to report on a new record by Orange 2, may I suggest taking Bob Fisher's recent advice in the Guardian: 'quite whining and just get on with it'. * From Reynald Neron:We are not April 1st yet, are we? And I thought about giving a proper answer to Magnus Wheatley (criticizing Bruno Peyron attempt at the world record fully crewed), but that would be giving Magnus too much credit. * From Fietje Judel Bob Pierce questions about the different results from PHRF and IRC handicaps can be simply answered: 1) PHRF is empirical, IRC is formulae based. Any formulae based rule has typeforming effects, while empirical systems handicap what is seen on the water. If weather conditions favor the rule embedded typeforming effects , these boats just will win by a big margin. 2) PHRF is time on distance, IRC is time on time. I guess the pineapple cup was a fast race, which works in favor of fast boats under time on time. In a slow race the opposite will be the case. With single number systems you always will get such controversies. The only way around are multiple handicaps, which can be taylored to weather and course conditions. * From Diane Swintal: We often talk about "heroes" in this world, and events of the past few years have taught us the real meaning of the word - and Ellen MacArthur fits the bill. Strength, courage and sheer will (and a darned good shore crew!) can beat all. And I wonder how many other alarms went off on the Left Coast in order wake up and watch the live internet coverage of her triumphant return to Falmouth - I'm happy to say I was one! Many kudos to the Team Ellen website for keeping us on the edge of our seat for 72 days. * From Scott Boye: The magnitude of Ellen's accomplishment was amplified for me while listening to BBC world news (one advantage of living so close to Canada) on Monday night. The report on Ellen's record-breaking trip around the globe was over two minutes long and was the lead story for that hour's broadcast, in front of a story on the new Middle East ceasefire. Congratulations to Ellen for a job very well done and congratulations to England for allowing the entire country to be captivated by this great sailor and her accomplishments. * From Richard Clark: We live in an age where it is acceptable and even honourable to wear our hearts on our sleeves, thank God. Give the woman, oops, I mean Dame her due. I don't care how big or how technical her shore crew were, she was going for a record not a jaunt on the Solent. Consider the handlers on the Super Bowl sideline, the fans at the Australian Tennis Open. And guys, she was on the boat, not the shore crew! * From John Walton: Naomi James - not Kay Cottee - became the first woman for circumnavigate the globe in 1977. My recollection was that this was a non-stop circumnavigation, which would also mean it was unassisted, would it not? Call me nationalistic, but James's achievement was considerably more significant than Cottee's, coming as it did 11 years earlier. * From Donald Macaulay: I have just heard of the death of Syd Rogers, late the Publisher of Boating Magazine, which he served from 1963 for some twenty years. When I first got into marine publishing in 1970 the business was riddled through with amateur hobbyists, rejects from the varsity of publishing, and those who seemed to have wandered in with a few bucks and nothing better to do. Contrast that with Syd who brought high standards (which now others had to match), knowledge, an ability to keep his mitts off the creative sorts, a love of the water, and an understanding that at the end of day you had to make money. As I said, a pro. Syd was a sailor who started in a Beetle Cat and included 12 Bermuda Races, six SORC's, and an Admirals Cup in his life long passion. In his eighties he was still tacking around Stonington harbor in his Herreshoff Fish Boat. He was a member of the NYYC, CCA, and a founder of the Stonington YC. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS Generica: Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, etc. |
