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SCUTTLEBUTT 1438 - October 17, 2003
Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt 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 and personal attacks for elsewhere.
2004 BOAT OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Newport, RI - The list of nominees is out for the 2004 Cruising World and
Sailing World Boat of the Year Awards, to be presented November 6 during
the Sail Expo St. Petersburg boat show. This year marks the 20th
anniversary of the awards from Sailing World, while it has been 10 years
since Cruising World added its honors. Each magazine will name a Boat of
the Year, considered the highest honor in the industry, as well as awards
in several other categories.
Cruising World nominated 23 boats in six categories; their overall Boat of
the Year will be one of the winners from these categories. Sailing World is
considering 10 models for Boat of the Year. Any model introduced to the
North American market between the 2002 and 2003 Annapolis Boat Shows is
eligible. The Cruising World awards will focus on production boats laid out
and equipped for coastal and offshore cruising and voyaging. Judges on the
Sailing World panel will concentrate on boats designed and built with
racing in mind. - Dean Turcol, World Publications
Cruising World nominations
Under $200,000: Beneteau 373, Catalina 387, Etap 37s, Hunter 41; Under
$400,000: Bavaria 49, Hallberg-Rassy 40, Island Packet 370, Jeanneau Sun
Odyssey 49; Under $600,000: Beneteau 57, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 54 DS, Saga
48, Tartan 4400; Performance 40 Class: Elan 40, Grand Soleil 40, Wauquiez
Centurion 40s; Performance Cruising Class: Dufour 44, J/133, Soubise 46,
X-43; Deluxe cruising boats: Discovery 55, Gunboat 62, Moorings 6200, North
Wind 58
Sailing World nominations
Hunter 216, Farr 36, Corsair 36, Grand Soleil 40, Elan 40, Dufour 40,
Centurion 40 S, X-43, J/133, Gunboat 62
AUDI MELGES 24 WORLDS
San Francisco, CA- If you'd told us six days ago that a fourteen year old
kid would have Harry Melges on the ropes going into the final day of the
Audi Melges 24 World Championship in San Francisco we'd have politely
laughed you out of court. Today we have egg on our faces and Shark Kahn and
his Pegasus 1 crew of Richard Clarke, Mark Christensen, Brian Hutchenson
and Brian Lee have Harry Melges, Jeff Ecklund, Hans Melges and Steve Inman
well and truly worried.
Today's two races brought thrills and spills as Melges and Kahn both found
themselves down in the cheap seats for a change. After yesterday's shifts
the wind was rock steady at 225 and racing got underway at lunch time in 6
knots, which increased to around 16 knots by the end of race eight. For
both boats it was a day of mixed fortunes with Melges scoring 11, 8 and
Kahn 1, 16.
The leaders were not the only ones to have an eventful day. The most
serious incident was a leeward mark collision in race eight between Keith
Grzelak and Denise Surtees which left Grzelak with a large hole in the port
quarter and Surtees with a broken pole. Fortunately Grzelak's crew were
able to stuff the hole with a sail bag and keep the boat fully heeled to
starboard for the tow home. Martin Wedge was the other high profile
casualty when he lost his rig in race eight and found himself forming an
interesting obstruction on the second down wind leg.
Two final races are schedule for tomorrow, although the fact that racing is
already postponed until noon and no races can be started after two pm will
make for a tight program. - Fiona Brown
Standings after 8 races with one discard (68 boats):
1. Pegasus 24-1, Samuel "Shark" Kahn, 17
2. Star, Harry Melges, 18
3. Full Throttle, Brian Porter, 42
4. Joe Fly, Luca Santella, 47
5. P & P Sailing Team, Phillipe Ligot, 65
6. Ebrex Logistic, Babbi Egidio, 71
7. Unprotected, Robert Greenhalgh, 72
8. USA 399, Dave Ullman, 74
9. 11, Ian Cleaver, 78
10. Black Seal, Jamie Lea, 84
Complete story and results- http://www.melges24.com/news/main.asp?news_id=247
NO DOPE
ISAF has received results from the most recent doping tests undertaken, and
all were negative.
To date this year, ISAF in partnership with the World Anti-Doping Agency
(WADA), has undertaken dope tests for sailors competing in Olympic,
Paralympic and youth events, and across all elements of the sport the tests
have been negative.
This result demonstrates the respect shown to anti-doping within the sport
of sailing. As part of its commitment to support the fight against doping
in sport, ISAF and WADA will continue to undertake dope tests, both in and
out-of-competition.
With effect from 1 January 2004, there will be a new list of Prohibited
Medications and a new Anti-Doping Code. Further information is available on
the ISAF Anti-Doping sitelet, via the link below. - ISAF,
http://www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=5630
Information on Prohibited Medications,
http://www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=5550
PROTON PALM
Nope, not a new leeward mark term of affection. Rather, Proton is the palm
on the newly redesigned Championship Glove by Gill. Contoured fit for
dexterity, seamless wrap around Kevlar reinforced fingers, and Kevlar bound
Proton palms make these extremely comfortable, functional, and durable.
With an innovative inside wrist closure, there'll be less false starting of
your watch. Wisdom dictates, a sore hand means a slow boat,
ah...grasshopper. Don't let your hands hold you back. Check out the Proton
palmed Gill glove by visiting Annapolis Performance Sailing's weekly
updated Hot New Items page or, click here...
https://www.apsltd.com/depts/dept3511.asp
MINI TRANSAT
Sam Manuard leader of the second leg of the Mini Transat has stopped in his
tracks just 80 miles from the finish line at El Salvador de Bahia. Race
organisers believe he may have broken his mast.
At 0500 (local) time as Manuard was heading for the finish line he suddenly
reduced speed and changed course. He is currently (at 1420) 15 miles from
the coast doing 1-2kts and is thought to be under jury rig. Race support
vessels are on their way to meet Manuard but weather conditions - 30kts of
breeze and big seas - are making progress difficult. - Sue Pelling,
Yachting World, http://tinyurl.com/r901
Official standings at 1500 GMT Thursday:
1. Armel Tripon, Moulin Roty, 102 miles from finish
2. Samuel Manuard, Tip Top Too, 110 mff
3. Alex Pell, Aquate,- Santaiveri- Texknit, 154 mff
4. Pierre Rolland, Extrado, 181 mff
5. Richard Mérigeaux, Bon Pied Bon Oeil, 221 mff
Event website: http://www.transat650.org
Curmudgeon's Comment: The report in Issue 1437 from Libby McKee about the
circumstances surrounding Jonathan McKee's demise needed some fine tuning.
Here she states, "I meant 200 million people in Recife (not 200 people
living in the city where Jonathan landed) and the D1 is the shroud that
broke. My haste to get a message out and some sloppy typing led to my
inaccuracies. Mea Culpa! The rest is still true."
IN MEMORIUM
The Australian sailing community has suffered a tragic loss in the recent
passing of well-known Western Australian sailor, Glenn Tucker. Glenn, was
greatly admired both within his local and national sailing communities.
Known for his passion for sailing, Glenn raced in the Etchells, Dragon,
Star, Soling and Foundation classes and most recently joined the Farr 40
class with his boat, R 40. Glenn was National Champion in the Etchells
class in 1998 and the Dragon class in 2000. He regularly raced his Etchells
and Foundation 36 boats on the Swan River, out of Royal Perth Yacht Club. -
Sam Crichton
J/80 WORLDS
Fort Worth, Texas - Sunny, windy and warm was the prediction for Thursday's
racing, and the competitors saw lots of shifts with winds of 15-25 knots
building through the late morning and early afternoon.
Jay Lutz took an early lead in the first race and extended to finish 10
boat lengths ahead of Kerry Klingler with Christer Faith-Ell finishing
third. The second race had Scott Spurlin way ahead of the pack, Chris Block
had come in like gangbusters for second and John Kolius finished third. The
last race of the day was a bit more challenging as the wind kept clocking
to the left requiring a change for each weather leg. The Swedish teams
dominated the last race with all four teams finishing in the top 10.
Unofficial standings after 9 races with one discard (48 boats):
1. Jay Lutz, Houston, TX, 26 pts.
2. Christer Faith-Ell, Taby, Sweden, 49
3. John Kolius, La Porte, TX, 49
4. Scott Spurlin, Leander, TX, 53
5. Kerry Klinger, Larchmont, NY, 53
One final race is scheduled for Friday. - Full story:
http://oemsites.com/OEM/news/index.cfm?event_id=7&menu_id=165
GETTING READY FOR KEY WEST RACE WEEK 2004?
In the rest of the country, it's been a wet, cool summer, but the sun
always shines in Key West. Planning to use Tacktick's new wireless Micronet
Instruments? Pre-order, and reserve yours now; our first shipments are
already sold out. Thinking about new rigging? Find the latest and best
one-design solutions at Layline. Eyeing those supplex shorts that keep you
dry and stylin'? Get your new bottoms from us. Call 800.542.5463 to speak
with a Layline sailor, or visit our website for all your Key West Race Week
needs: http://www.layline.com
THE MERMAID FINDS A HOME
Located in Mountainville, NY, the Storm King Art Center is a museum that
celebrates the relationship between sculpture and nature. Five hundred
acres of landscaped lawns, fields and woodlands provide the site for
postwar sculptures by internationally renowned artists.
It is also the current resting spot for an America's Cup yacht from the
1995 event. You may remember the PACT 95 syndicate, which had the artist
Roy Lichtenstein create the graphics for their boat named Young America.
Adorned along the length of the hull was an 80-foot long mermaid that
covered the sides and bottom of the yacht.
To preserve the yacht and the painting for future generations to enjoy and
not have her lost forever through neglect, generous gifts from the Young
America Foundation, the Ralph E. Ogden Foundation, Inc., and a very special
grant from the Ford Foundation, provided the funding to enable Storm King
to add it to their permanent collection. - For museum information and a
must-see look at this great boat: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos
NEWS BRIEFS
* This summer, San Diego yachtsman Randall Pittman will be steering his new
90-foot sloop, Genuine Risk, towards records and first to finish trophies
across the globe. Genuine Risk will be well suited to Pittman's goals of
racing an all-around high performer. Designed by a team headed up by
Dubois Naval Architects and including America's Cup legends Clay Oliver and
Andy Claughton, Genuine Risk is nearing completion of construction at
McConaghy Boats in Australia. The new race boat is equipped with CBTF Co's
Canting Ballast Twin Foil (CBTF) technology.
* The Bermuda International Women's Match Racing Championship will begin
this Saturday, October 18 at the Royal Bermuda YC. Eight of the world's top
women's match racing teams, which includes Betsy Alison (Newport, RI),
Sally Barkow (Nashotah, WI), and Paula Lewin (Paget, Bermuda), will take
part in the four-day event. Entrants will vie for a share of the $15,000
prize, plus the winner and runner-up will advance to round one of the King
Edward VII Gold Cup (October 22-26), the second event of the Swedish Match
Tour 2003/04, where they will compete for another $100,000 in prize money.
- Dana Paxton, Media Pro Intl.
Event website: http://www.KingEdwardVIIGoldCup.com
* The 10-strong fleet of new Clipper Dubois 68s under construction at
Shanghai Double Happiness Yachts, China is now five days ahead of schedule.
The hull plug and mould are complete and have been turned ready for lay-up,
which will start in November. The hulls will be constructed using a
combination of Herex and Airex to give strength and to keep the weight
down. This new fleet will replace the current fleet of eight Clipper 60s
and will be launched next year ready for the next race which starts in
autumn 2005. - Sue Pelling, Yachting World, http://tinyurl.com/r7ip
GARAGE SALE
It is not exactly a garage sale, but there sure is a lot of stuff up for
grabs in the classified ads section of the Scuttlebutt website. Boats (31
listings), Gear (19 listings), Jobs (18 listings) and even houses available
for rent or trade in the Abacos, Bahamas and Sun Valley, Idaho. Check it
all out at: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/classifieds
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 Ian Duff (re Paul Henderson's comments): If the good PROs are all
well known, who cares whether the MNA or ISAF appoints them for a specific
event? The quality of race management is what counts, not who controls
them. Rather than have the ISAF control the selections of race officers a
better solution might be to offer class-specific training and certification
for international caliber PROs, this training to be at either the MNA or
ISAF level. Then who cares whether the MNA or ISAF appoints them? The PRO
population should be a meritocracy, not one based on political allegiance.
* From Bruce Thompson: I agree that ISAF and the MNAs can be too insular
in certifying race officers. For example, when I sent in my initial request
for club race officer with all the pertinent requirements competed I was
rejected by US Sailing. Their concern was that all three of my references
were members of my yacht club. That was indeed true. They were also people
with international credentials as the president of the International
Lightning Class, the president of the International Penguin Class and US
Sailing's delegate to ISAF's Technical Committee! This struggle has
continued. I don't think there is a single CPRO in all of Area K!
* From Tom Lihan: (Re: Paul Henderson's comments on PROs and
International/Olympic event management) There are a great number of
extremely competent individuals around the world (including the U.S.) who
can organize and run a major championship. There are also a great number
who can run it properly and with great efficiency. These individuals
volunteer to do it because they want to see it done right period, not
because they hold some card that says they are qualified to do it right.
Over the years, most events that have had problems with race management and
organization have not been RM teams that were chosen by "the inmates" (as
one I.J. is fond of calling the competitors) but those that were mandated
or "legislated" by some other governing body. When seasoned class veterans
and competitors pick their "dream team" and "ideal venue", events usually
come off pretty well. Nothing motivates a volunteer more than sincere
appreciation from a world-class athlete who drops the hint that "a good
job" was done. It is difficult enough to find these types of qualified
volunteers, asking them to get involved with training, certification, and
remedial education (at a cost) is not a recipe for success. Thumbs down on
the concept.
* From Hank Evans: In reading about the demise of MORC and StFYC scrapping
Americap II, it got me to thinking about all the rating rules that have
gone by the boards in the 50 years I have been racing sailboats. If anyone
were to calculate the millions of hours people have spent inventing rating
rules and the billions spent on boats designed to rules that became
worthless, there would probably have been enough money to build every
sailor in the world a one-design, in his desired size range, that he could
have enjoyed racing.
* From Ben Towery: Two great things have happened in San Francisco this
week... IRC is coming and a fourteen-year-old kid is womping on the big
boys. Kudos to the club and the kid!
* From Karen Johnson: (re: speaking with a Southern accent) Saying anything
with a Southern accent makes it better!
CURMUDGEON'S CONFESSION
I always wanted to write a drinking song but couldn't get past the first
few bars.
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