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SCUTTLEBUTT 2215 – November 2, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday, with America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt brought to you by UBS (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). ONBOARD WITH AURELIA (The following report is from British sailor Aurelia Ditton, who is currently in third with her ‘Dangerous When Wet’ in the Monohull Class 3 of the Route du Rhum race.) (November 1, 2006) “When it comes to weather forecasts, there is one word that I detest; variable. There is no getting away from it. It is the same word in French, pronounced var-ee-a-bluh. Du vent var-ee-a-bluh is what we have this morning and which is responsible for the unloading and loading of my 2.2oz kite, sometimes with a violent and sudden tug on the sheet. The waves are also partly to blame, as the boat surges forward down the back of one, up rockets the apparent, down goes the accelerator until water friction (the wave-ploughing effect) and the up-hill aspect of the next wave eventually have their way with the speed. Molecular matter forming pressure on the inside of the spinnaker, known in layman terms as air, is thereby dumped; leaving the cloth floundering and in a partial state of collapse. The stern is then picked up by wave two and off we go again. “It was pitch black and the middle of the night when the wind went aft and that word spinnaker loomed in my mind. As per usual, I decided to prioritise the subject by taking a one hour nap first which turned into a two hour struggle to get up at all, along with lots of excuses-to-self that we were doing 8-10 knots anyway so what was the fuss about?! All in all, the conclusion was probably the best possible outcome; I slept, on the basis that hoisting the kite and then falling asleep willingly or otherwise would not be a good thing. So when first light broke the gloom on the horizon, the time had come. If my writing here denotes a touch of apprehension, a touch is too slight! My experience of hoisting and running spinnakers amounts to about nil. Upwind/reaching I know how to eek every knot percentage out of tub or torpedo. Downwind, yes, well, perhaps I should have done the Mini Transat first?! “Erring on the distinctly boring side of caution, my first choice of kite this morning was therefore the "heavy" 2.2oz! The training kite, if you like. Up I trawled the sock through the companionway hatch, to the foredeck. Bagged, she will neither fit down the forepeak hatch nor the main companionway entrance, and liking the weight aft, she had been added to the main cabin furniture. So up she went and returning to the cockpit, I did grumble that my decision had been far too conservative, that after all I was racing and hadn't I douse and re-hoist the "medium" tri-colour instead? You know what happened next... wham! The wind filled back into 18 knots gusting 21 and the kite began to dip in the water. 'Ease the main!' A voice screams in my head, a voice so indoctrinated from the couple of years racing fully crewed off the East Coast US. Mr "heavy" turned out to be the better sail.” - Aurelia Ditton * Route du Rhum race is the 3,500-mile solo race for multi-hulls and monohulls from France to Guadeloupe that began last weekend. - http://www.routedurhum.org ONBOARD WITH ALEX (The following report is from British sailor Alex Thomson, who is currently in fourth with his HUGO BOSS in the Velux 5 Oceans race) (November 1, 2006) “I used to really love a good bashing to windward until I started sailing open 60s! All the modern Open 60s are large flat bottomed beasts and going upwind in a good breeze into a large sea is a kin to bashing your brains out against a brick wall. Up the wave and then SLAM down into the trough on the back of it and I mean SLAM. The noise is horrendous and the whole boat shakes, I can feel the bottom of the boat which I am standing on physically move. I have done a fair few miles upwind into big seas in this boat and I am always amazed how the bloody thing stays together let alone how the mast stays up. We took a good beating yesterday and particularly last night, winds from 10 knots to 35 knots and a building, confused sea. The varying wind strength meant reef, unreef, then double reef, and constant attention. “You can't say to yourself, "I'll leave it to wait this one out" as the mainsail will not take the punishment, so the last 24 hours have been hard labour and listening to the boat beat herself up in the process. I started on port tack sailing southwest and last night when the wind turned to the southwest so I tacked and went south, which is where i am currently heading. “It was difficult to eat and sleep properly yesterday so today my priority will be tidying up the boat and getting myself back to 100% - starting with a couple of bacon sandwiches! I managed to fall on my favourite BOSS sunglasses last night so will have to commit them to the bin and break out a new pair. They were useful yesterday as a windscreen in the pouring rain but this morning the sun will come up and the eyes need their shades. The weather ahead looks light for a time and after that we will see some much awaited trade winds, downwind champagne sailing, Mumm of course... We may see the leaders slow a little today but they will hit the trades first, and Golding and I will have to negotiate a light wind area to enter the trades, after that it’s the doldrums. “Lou Reed this morning I think.” - Alex Thomson * Velux 5 Oceans is a 30,000-mile solo race exclusively for the Grand Prix IMOCA Open 60 and Open 50 classes, and is now in its second week. The race begins and ends in Bilbao, Spain with just two stops - in Perth, Western Australia and Norfolk, Virginia on the east coast of the USA. - http://www.velux5oceans.com "FASTEST SAILS ON THE PLANET" - PERIOD! The 2007 racing season is fast approaching. Is your sail inventory ready? International Grand Prix to highly competitive One Design, or just local Club racing, Ullman Sails has the right sail design technology and fabric selection to deliver "The Fastest Sails on the Planet". Ullman Sails new "FiberPath" sails are arguably the lightest, strongest, string load-bearing sails available! "FiberPath" is stronger for its weight, and delivers superior longevity compared to the alternatives. For more information on "FiberPath," or to get a quote on the "Fastest Sails on the Planet," contact your local Ullman Sails loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com BIG NAMES - LITTLE BOATS Virgin Gorda, BVI -- Paul Cayard and Russell Coutts finished overlapped in the first race of the fleet racing portion of the Bitter End Yacht Club’s Pro-Am Regatta, and from that point on, the other eight skippers seemed to fade a bit as the event took on the appearance of the “Paul and Russell Show.” Sailing with crews composed entirely of guests of BEYC, the two seemed right at home in the IC 24s used for the event -- a J/24 that has been modified with a Melges 24-type cockpit. Cayard’s worst finish was a second place, which ultimately provided him with a seven-point edge over Coutts. Ken Read missed the first four races because of airline problems, but the judges awarded him average points, which moved him into the third spot on the podium. The event continues on Thursday with the top four Masters Division skippers from the fleet racing portion of the event (Butch Ulmer, Keith Musto, Rod Johnstone & Bruce Kirby) and the top four Junior Division skippers (Cayard, Coutts, Read & Dave Perry) tangling in the match racing phase of the BEYC Pro-Am Regatta. - http://www.beyc.com COMPETITOR COMMENTARY (November 1, 2006) Brian Angel is a twenty-something year old Californian, scrapping anyway he can for invites to match race events. 2006 has proved to be a busy year for his team, where they competed in match race events such as the Congressional Cup (CA), Knickerbocker Cup (NY), Prince of Wales (TX), Nations Cup (Ireland), Antibes Cup (France), Match Race Lugano (Switzerland), Bermuda Gold Cup, Allianz Cup, etc. The Scuttlebutt publisher met up with Brian in San Francisco last week, and here he submits his comments on the recently concluded Allianz Cup in San Francisco, CA. Read on… “I've had a few people ask my why this event was so special. “I first tell them how important it was for sailing, and for match racing in the US, to have a major media event on our turf. I tell them that this can be a launching pad for other match racing events all over the country, as well as proof that sailing can be a spectator sport. It gives sailors hope that they won't have to travel all the way across oceans to find top match race regattas, and it gives promise to sailors like myself, seeking sponsors to support their sailing campaigns. People do enjoy watching this sport, and sponsors can see a return on their money. Can you believe that there were hundreds, maybe thousands, of people at St. Francis Yacht Club watching the racing last week? Then consider all the viewers watching over the Internet on Sail.tv. What a revolution that was! I had friends all over the world telling me how great the coverage was! “Feeling a bit excited, I move on to explain how special the assembled field of competitors was. I explain that 8 of the 10 sailors in the world were in attendance, and that doesn't even include Ed Baird, Peter Holmberg, Jesper Bank, or the eventual winner, Ben Ainslie. Oddly enough, I just named of 3 of the 4 semifinalists. They may not be ranked in the top 10, but they are far from rusty, as each of them is neck deep in America’s Cup campaigns. I could go on about all the World Championships and Olympic Medals these sailors have amassed, but the point has been made. I've never seen a field to rival this one.” - Brian Angel, complete report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/1101/ SAILING SHORTS * The Spirit of Adventure Trust has decided to reunite the damaged piece of the America's Cup it owns with the Auld Mug. The trust purchased the piece from the jeweller who repaired the cup when it was bashed with a sledgehammer in 1997. When the trust told the America's Cup's present holder the Geneva Yacht Club it planned to auction off the piece, the club objected. Spirit of Adventure trust chairman Stephen Fisher says the board feels returning the piece is the right thing to do. He added that the trust had received one or two substantial offers for the piece and the proceeds would have furthered the Sprit of Adventure programme. - tvnz.co.nz: http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/877218 * (November 1, 2006) Almost seventy yachts are registered for this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, with only three days until the entry deadline. Applicants include three 30 metre maxis: Maximus, 2003 line honours winner Skandia, and defending handicap/ line honours winner and race record holder, Wild Oats XI. Also competing are the Volvo 70 ABN Amro One, Mike Freebairn’s Koomooloo (1968 Overall winner); eighty-four year old John Walker and his IOR three quarter tonner Impeccable, (22nd race for both boat and owner), and Maurie Cameron’s Phillip’s Foote Witchdoctor, which this year will pass the previous record for the most races by a boat, 25. - http://rolexsydneyhobart.com * From October 26 to November 23, the worldwide speedsailing community is focused on the small village of Walvis Bay in Namibia (in southern Africa). Already by October 31st, world records have been broken, subject to WSSRC ratification. Bjorn Dunkerbeck smashed the old custom board record by more than one knot to 41.14 knots. Hennie Bredenkamp is now holding the production record on the mile with 40.33 knots. Zara Davis also bettered the old woman’s nautical mile world record by more than one knot to 34.74 knots and Rob Munro set a new Kitespeed world record over the mile with 35.65 knots. - http://www.50-knots.com * Correction: The story by Tillerman in Issue 2214 referenced the event occurring at Cottage Park YC. It did not. WINTER ENHANCEMENT – KEY WEST Acura Key West 2007 and the annual reunion of 3,000 sailors are less than three months away. Sponsors make it possible. Title Sponsor Acura, Presenting Sponsor Nautica Watches, Day Sponsor Mount Gay Rum, and Supporting Sponsors B&G, Everglades Boats, Lewmar, New England Ropes, Slam, and Sperry Top-Sider play an important role enhancing your experience in Key West. We encourage you to support these companies during race week and throughout the year. Race dates are January 15-19. One Design, IRC, and PHRF racing in warm Southern Florida waters. Don’t miss the 20th celebration of North America’s premiere regatta. Details: http://www.Premiere-Racing.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or space (letters shall be no longer than 250 words). You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, there are no word or frequency limits on comments sent to the Scuttlebutt Forums. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forums: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Tapio Saavalainen: I fully support Stuart Hebb's position regarding the Gulf Stream Series 2007 (letter in Issue 2214). As the Miami Race Week 2007 excludes smaller boats, the only way for my Annapolis-based Grand Soleil 37 to participate in two Group 3 events is to make a roundtrip to the Caribbean after the Key West Race Week. That is a 2000 mile call--quite a demanding exercise in terms of time and money. Indeed, the US-IRC committee has moved on thin ice in promoting the IRC rule in the way that is biased against smaller boats. Why not to require only one Group 3 race participation, or alternatively, include the Charleston Race Week in the Group 3 events? * From Barry Carroll, GSS Committee: Mr. Hebb misses the point I am afraid. We have been very inclusive of events in the Gulf Stream Series. There are two reasons. First, the main point of the GSS is to give competitors one more reason to go to an event and increase participation in all of the events and our sport. Second, the larger the menu of events from which to choose, the easier it is for individuals to schedule their participation. Having said that, the lure of the GSS is in part, the effort it takes to compete in different race formats in the waters washed by the Stream. It is a mix of inshore and offshore, Caribbean, Gulf, Southern, Northern, and even Canadian sailing. It isn’t easy to qualify never mind win, but every boat that does qualify should be congratulated for the achievement. The size limit in Miami was imposed by shoreside logistics, not through any lack of concern for smaller offshore boats. No one has done more for southern winter sailing than Premiere Racing, but the decision had nothing to do with the GSS. If the Acura Miami Grand Prix were removed from the GSS, it would just reduce the opportunity for other competitors to qualify in an outstanding regional event. And by the way, the Aerodyne 38 is exactly the type of high performance offshore racer/cruiser we had in mind for the GSS. We hope Mr. Hebb can join us. * From Jim Champ. Epsom, UK: (regarding the letter from John Rumsey in Issue 2214 on reducing men’s events in the Olympics to increase women’s events) Oh yes, for sure it was progress, for two reasons. The first one is the conventional philosophical that more equality is better. The second though is the important one and highly practical. I've observed by doing some hacking of stats that the turn-outs in Dinghy Championships in the UK are highly correlated with the number of women in the class - the more women that turn up will lead to more men turning up too. So if you grow the number of women in the sport, the total number of people in the sport increases more than if you grow the number of men in the sport. Or to put it more bluntly: "bring the girls and the boys will follow." If we want the sport to grow, then our biggest priority is to encourage women into the sport, and so increasing the percentage of women at the 5-ring circus is very significant progress. * From Francis E. Charles, Sailing Master, MIT Sailing Pavilion: It is often said that the Charles River (in Boston, MA) never has waves and the breeze is too often light and shifty. And those tech dinghies are just slow. Well, this past Sunday we were host to the unofficial Fall NE Dinghy Championship for the 66th annual Professor Schell Trophy. The Roger Williams Hawks won the event in the last set under extreme conditions. Just after the A Division start in FJs with storm jibs, the River turned white with a 50 knot gust. It was an amazing sight as everyone handled the conditions and not a single boat broke down. For the final race the wind backed off to about 40 knots for B Division in tech dinghies with storm sails with non-stop planning downwind. Everyone who witnessed and sailed in this event will remember it for a lifetime. Check out the pics at http://sailing.mit.edu/Calendar/Events/Schell06 * From Scott Fox, The Boathouse: Regarding Dean Brenner's "Olympic Revolution" (in Issue 2214), I have a question: How exactly is reducing the US Sailing team from 5 members to 3 members per class help to "keep a keen eye focused beyond 2008?" The recently held pre-trials saw at best mediocre turnouts in most classes. If it is all about concentrating funding, they barely funded the top boats in the past and the 4th and 5th ranked teams got virtually nothing, so eliminating them did not increase funding for the top 3. I think they are jeopardizing the future growth of the Olympic Classes in the U.S. with their short sightedness. Below are the meager attendance figures for U.S. boats at the Pre-Trials. The only pleasant surprise amongst them is the Finn class which is in the middle of a rebirth thanks to a strong grass roots effort not U.S. Sailing support: Ynglings: Pre-Trials canceled not enough boats to make it worthwhile 470 Men - 6 470 Women - 4 RS:X Men - 5 RS:X Women - 4 Star - 21 49er - 10 Tornado - 9 Finns - 37! Laser - 36 Laser Radials - 20 CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Those who cannot make up their minds for fear of making the wrong choice take their place among the rank and file of the also-rans, trudging along in bland mediocrity. Today’s Scuttlebutt newsletter provided by Ullman Sails and Premiere-Racing. America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt is brought to you by UBS. |
