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SCUTTLEBUTT 1423 - September 26, 2003Powered 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 and personal attacks for elsewhere. PETER CRAIG (Since 1994, Peter Craig, President of Premiere Racing, has managed the on-water portion of what is now known as Terra Nova Trading Key West. In 1997, Premiere Racing took over the complete event management of what is now arguably the premiere multi-class keelboat event in the US. Scuttlebutt recently checked in with Peter about Key West, what today's sailors are looking for and how all events can improve themselves. Here is an excerpt from our exclusive interview now posted on the Scuttlebutt website.) Scuttlebutt: What do you see as the current trend with race week events? Peter Craig: I believe the race week type events are probably a dying breed. With a premium today on leisure time, at least in this country, the one, two, and three-day regattas over a weekend are more commonplace than the more lengthy events of a week or longer. You just need to look at the demise of the old SORC format, Kenwood Cup, and Admirals Cup to name just a few. Some of the major regional events are shorter today than they were in the past. Time in many respects has become more critical than money. Key West Race Week is an exception. First of all it is a long way to bring your crew and your boat for two or three days of racing. Secondly, it has evolved into a championship-caliber event. Scuttlebutt: But isn't there still a desire for folks to branch out beyond their local racing? Peter Craig: Part of it is the need for a destination location. For a keelboat regatta, as opposed to dinghies or easily trailerable keelboats, you have got to have a real good reason to pack up the boat and get your sizeable crew wherever it is that you are going. When you are doing all that, with both the expense and the time factor involved, and you only have two or two and a half days of racing, that includes a bad weather day, boy, that's a huge effort to come up short. You're finding that in the keelboat arena today, to get yourself out of your local regional area, and your boat on a truck and where it needs to be, there's got to be a real good reason to do so. Scuttlebutt: What do you feel most of these sailors are looking for? Peter Craig: Sailors at Key West cover the whole spectrum. We've got the not-so-serious club racer on one end right up to the elite grand prix program in the other. But, the one thing that they are all looking for is competent race management. You have got to have that. We focus really hard to get that just right for all four divisions. There is a lot to putting on a great event, but above all else you better make sure that you're making good decisions on the water. Scuttlebutt: Recent Scuttlebutt dialogue has included how PRO's (principal race officers) interact on the water with competitors. Is there a game plan covering this for Key West? Peter Craig: We have been in tune with that for six or seven years now. We indeed have a game plan. With the four separate divisions and PRO's coming from four different regions around the country, it's important for continuity sake to have a detailed, written standard operating procedure, which we do. And that includes communications. We use a fair amount of VHF communications to keep competitors apprised with what we're up to. We receive very positive feedback about our on-the-water communications, but no, we don't coach competitors in the last minute before the start. I certainly don't think that's what sailboat racing is all about. Read the entire interview: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/interview/ ETCHELLS WORLDS Greenwich, Connecticut, USA - Ken Read got two more bullets on Thursday. That's five bullets in seven races, and his regatta lead is now 45 points. With just two races remaining, it sure looks like this party is over - that Read, a six-time J/24 World Champion, is on track for a nomination for his third Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award. Standings (7 races with one discard - 93 boats): 1. Ken Read, K. Anderson & S. Norris, USA, 7 2. Jud Smith, H. Frazer & A. Wills, USA, 52 3. Cameron Miles, P. Smidmore & J. Mayjor, AUS, 64 4. Hans Fogh, R. Cheer & T. Fogh, CAN, 97 5. Cameron Appleton, P. Merrington & P. Gudmunson, NZL, 101 Event website: http://www.etchellsworlds2003.org/ DID ISABEL ROCK YOUR BOAT? We hope you got your boat out of Hurricane Isabel's path last week and that it weathered the storm unharmed. But if your boat now needs a little repair, call the Hurricane Relief (Lay)line: 800-542-5463. We've got plenty of replacement parts in stock, and our riggers are ready to help get your boat back in the water for those last few races of this season. Feel like you've already spent too much on your boat this year? Check out our new sale items page for end-of-season bargains on cordage, hardware, and gear: http://www.layline.com/departments.asp?dept=266 THE OLYMPICS There are two ways to provide for Olympic sailing. One is a purpose-built permanent marina, of which Kiel (1972) was the first modern example and Barcelona (1992) by far the best. In Spain's case, it rejuvenated a run-down waterfront area. Ten years on, it is a crucial part of the Catalan capital. The other is to make a temporary marina. In Sydney (2000) a waterfront domain in Rushcutters Bay served its purpose, yet left nothing to remind Sydneysiders that Olympic yachting had taken place there, even if the harbour had provided a natural grandstand. In Savannah (1996), on Georgia's low-lying and environmentally sensitive coast, the Atlanta hosts spent millions towing barges from Texas to make a marina that was miles from the sailors' village, the media village and the town. It was a shining example of what the Americans can achieve by throwing money at a problem, yet ultimately it was pointless and wasteful. Athens should be like Barcelona, leaving a facility with a useful second life. The site is state-owned and will be sold. (ISAF President) Henderson estimates a $250 million (£152m) sale price which could turn a $100 million (£61m) profit. "I predict that sailing will be the biggest single profit centre in the Games," he said. "Furthermore it will be one of the most vibrant legacies left to Athens." - Tim Jeffery, The Daily Telegraph, full story: http://tinyurl.com/opk2 NEWS BRIEFS * As reported here in the last issue, Robert Miller's revolutionary all-carbon fibre 140-foot super-maxi is in New York and on stand-by to attempt to capture the prestigious west to east transatlantic speed record. Those who want to follow this closely can do so on a new website which goes live this weekend. www.mari-cha4.com * Lake Geneva Yacht Club in Fontana, Wisconsin is the host of US Sailing's Championship of Champions competition for the Jack Brown Trophy sailed in Melges MC scows. To the surprise of no one, the current MC national champion, Justin Hood took the early lead with a 2,1,1,2 series. Lightning Champion Allan Terhune, trails Hood by seven points. www.lgyc.com LOOKING BACK John Bertrand has revealed the legendary Australia II, which brought the nation America's Cup glory 20 years ago next week, was almost dumped for the 1983 Bond campaign. As his 1983 crew gathers for a gala reunion in Perth tonight, the skipper recalled the famed winged keel had not performed up to scratch in trials off Fremantle and in Port Phillip Bay. Bertrand feared the revolutionary boat would be too sluggish downwind for the huge challenge of taking sport's most elusive trophy off the New York Yacht Club after 132 years. "I didn't want to go into the America's Cup with a boat that left us exposed," Bertrand said. It was only the faith of designer Ben Lexcen in his cherished keel and the determination of Alan Bond - who sank a fortune into Australia II - that swayed him. "Benny's heart was with Australia II and Alan was very strong on it, being more of a high-risk person, you might say," Bertrand said. Bertrand thought Lexcen's other design, the conventional Challenge 12, was equally capable. "But we developed new spinnaker shapes for Australia II and had to make a dramatic change in moving the keel forward 20cm. That covered our achilles heel and showed the advantages of the keel's superior performance." - Neil Wilson, News.com.au website, full story: http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7310637^421,00.html EYE FOR PERFORMANCE With cold weather just around the corner, now is the time to prepare. Annapolis Performance Sailing's eye for performance can see you sailing, and warm, in Gill's new i4 Performance Fleece. Incorporating classic styling with technical fabrics and features like flat seams for comfort under layers, the i4 series is available in vibrant colors and can be used as a performance mid-layer or casual outer layer. Annapolis Performance Sailing and Gill remind you to respect the elements. If you've got an eye for performance and want to stay warm sailing, check out i4 Fleeces at http://www.apsltd.com/depts/dept3386.asp IT ALMOST HAPPENED AGAIN (Following is an excerpt from a lengthy report written by Jill Nickerson about 'Day Six of Racing' at just-concluded ISAF World Championship Regatta in Cadiz, Spain.) Before the first race even started, Mike Fletcher, coach for the Australian team, had a near death experience on the way to the course. He had stopped to watch the Finn class, who were on the way out to the Tornado course. As he was standing in his stopped coach boat looking through the binoculars, a Danish Finn coach boat came flying in from the side at about 25-30 knots. Nether had seen the other, when suddenly the Danish inflatable boat ran right into and over the Australian boat, spinning the Australian boat violently and spitting the Australian coach out of the side of the boat and dangerously close to the spinning prop of the Danish boat. In a desperate attempt to stay away from the propeller, Mike swam as deep as he could, as quickly as he could and missed the propeller. Finally he surfaced, dazed and a bit battered, climbed back onto his boat, changed into some dry cloths he had on board, and went about the day almost as if nothing had happened, other than the fact he could not see a thing because his glasses had been lost, and he had a large gaping hold in the side of his boat. His winning Australian team Bundock and Forbes said that they had to go over the finish line first, otherwise their coach would not have been able to find them. QUOTE / UNQUOTE - Bill Trenkle "If we have enough funding we will be there. We have the experience and expertise to do it. If it looks like the costs will be too high and the funding is not there, then it may be time to sit this one out and watch from the sidelines, but let's hope it does not come to that". - Bill Trenkle, Team Dennis Conner, discussing the next America's cup. Cup in Europe website, full story: http://www.cupineurope.com/LatestNews/2007TDC-LN1.htm HAPPY ANNIVERSARY As near as I can tell, this issue marks the sixth anniversary of Scuttlebutt - although it's hard to know exactly because the 'launching' of this newsletter's was pretty casual and unstructured. That first issue went to 40 of my sailing friends in Southern California, and it was never intended to be much more than a way of exchanging rumors and gossip. Growth was never a goal, but today we'll deliver more than 17,500 copies to computers around the globe, and over twelve thousand visitors went to the Scuttlebutt website last week to view the latest issue, check out the photo gallery, see what's available on the classified ads page, use the event calendar, etc: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com Scuttlebutt still feels like a hobby to me and it's still fun - thanks to the assistance, encouragement and the infusion of sophisticated technology provided by the good people at SAIC, and by the energy, support, perspective and structure provided by Inbox Communications. And lastly, I am very thankful for all of our loyal readers, whose feedback and contributions continue to help us steer Scuttlebutt into the 21st century. - The curmudgeon WEATHER ADVISORY! Cruisers and racers can all learn how to interpret the weather and form strategy on that info. Our advice: sail safely and efficiently. Use the weather. Seminars held in Newport, RI on Sept. 27th and Long Beach, CA, on Oct. 4th. Details and online signup available at http://www.WxAdvantage.com 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 Spencer Ogden (Re: "Little America's Cup"): Not to demean what will do doubt be a fantastic event, but how is the new format of the ICCT comparable to the America's Cup? No doubt it is an "International Catamaran Challenge" and will feature some of the best catamaran sailors from around the world. However, something raced in a one-design cannot be the Little America's Cup, the comparison makes no sense. The Congressional Cup isn't called the 'Little America's Cup' just because it is match racing. The real AC is about development and I look forward to watching the C Class boats race for the LAC next year. * From Robert Wilkes: Question - Where did four of the world champions from Cadiz sail against each other in the same class championship? Answer: At the 1991 Optimist world championship in Greece. For the record their positions then were: Gustavo Lima 4th, Gabrio Zandona 13th, Chris Draper 19th, Ben Ainslie 109th. The ISAF silver medallist Christoffer Sundby was 14th. Former Optimist sailors, all but one of them former participants in Optimist world or continental championships, won 16 of the 27 boat medals in Cadiz. Further details at: www.optiworld.org/ioda-news.html * From Steven Levy (Re Heavy weather): Nobody's mentioned the upper left hand corner of America (i.e., Seattle) for its variety of sailing conditions. Although Puget Sound has light winds (0-15) more often than not, there are many race days each year with a steady 30+ knot breeze, gusting into the low 40s. Couple this with the current from 15 foot tidal swings, and you've got some serious equipment-wrecking days. The Sound is also frigid (49-53 degrees year round); hang onto the boat. I have a light boat and much prefer the light stuff, where we occasionally pick up some hardware, but we've learned how to get around and have fun when it's blowing like stink. (Besides, even when we chicken out on running a chute, surfing downwind is a blast at a steady 11 knots in a 35 foot monohull under a #2 and full main.) You deal with it -- which can include motoring back to the marina if you don't feel comfortable in the conditions. The other racers don't think less of you. Sometimes finishing first means just that -- put the boat away and get to the beer and burgers before anyone else! Most importantly, to race or not to race is my (and the crew's) decision. This is not a race committee responsibility. In this litigious society, this remains -- so far -- one area where personal responsibility governs. We go down to the sea in ships, not attorneys. * From Richard Spindler, Publisher / Executive Editor, Latitude 38 : In yesterday's Scuttlebutt reader Marc Fountain referred to the Sergeant Schultz incident, in which the crew of a J/24 set a kite and had a really wild ride for about half a mile one windy winter day on San Francisco Bay. Fountain says says it was blowing "in excess of 50 knots". As the photographer who took the sequence of photos that made the incident modestly famous in Latitude 38 sailing magazine, my recollection is that it was gusting to something like 35 knots - but certainly not over 50 knots. Had it been blowing 50, I would have been getting inundated on the flybridge of our Bertram 25 photoboat and seeking shelter. I'm no expert, but I similarly think Marc is slightly overstating the case to say it blows a steady 20 to 30 knots from April to October on San Francisco Bay. It certainly will blow 30 knots during the summer, but not on a regular basis. I think it would be more accurate to say that it almost always blows 12 to 22 knots from noon to the early evening - but that everyone has to be prepared for those less frequent occasions when it does pipe up to 25 or even 30 knots. * From John Culter: If Adam Loory thinks race committees on Long Island Sound are fostering poor seamanship, could I suggest that seamanship can be learned any time it's blowing hard? Our sport is called sailboat racing, and it's supposed to be fun, and safe. We're happily past the days when survival seemed the first priority. The problem for race committees is that, leaving the litigation aside, the competitors are our friends. We drink with them in the bar after the race. It's a small community. So if we run races in conditions where people fall overboard, or break parts of their bodies, we'll lose some friends, and most of us would rather not do that.The pious language of rule 4 is there to make some ISAF folk feel better, but in practice, the Long Island Sound race committees are doing what they are supposed to do: provide fair and safe racing for their fleets. Curmudgeon's Comment: Enough - this thread is officially dead. * From R.J. Lewy: If you saw Gary Jobson on OLN last week covering the Moet Cup you probably thought he was doing better with his fight against Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Well, he has taken a turn for the worst. While he was in San Francisco, he had to be hospitalized for his pain. Now he is in the hospital back home and undergoing aggressive chemo treatments. The doctors are trying to get him strong enough to be present at his induction into the America's Cup Hall of Fame ceremonies that take place on Oct. 16th at the Union League Club in Manhattan. Let's keep our fingers crossed and say a prayer for him. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Seasickness: At first you're worried you'll die; Then you're worried you won't! |
