SCUTTLEBUTT No. 599 - June 27, 2000
BOATSCAPE.COM / NORTH SAILS RACE WEEK
One word describes Deneen Demourkas' performance in the 16th
Boatscape.com/North Sails Race Week: "Groovederci!"
That's the name of the Farr 40 the Santa Barbara lady drove to first place
in world-class company to claim the Boatscape.com Trophy as winner of the
most competitive class.
Demourkas, 35, and her husband John, vice president of Nexus Shampoo, bought
the high-performance boat only four months ago, which is how long she has
been driving an ocean racer.
With a freshening breeze on the final day of racing, Groovederci finished
second behind Alan Field's Temptress, with Alexandra Geremia's Crocodile
Rock third.
Rick Flucke of Channel Islands YC cruised home to his second Olson 30
national title - he also won in 1994 -- with a 1-3-1 Sunday for a 14-point
edge.
In the Schock 35s, Dennis and Sharon Case - the comeback kids - pulled off
their usual come-from-behind victory and also claimed the class High Point
and Pacific Coast titles. One point behind Carolyn Hardy's Mischief before
the last race, they won by the length of a football field. Mischief, with
Mike Pinckney at the helm, was second but lost on the tiebreaker.
Kara Zylstra's 1D35 Wild Thing, with Brian Camet driving, swept its five
races, and in the handicap classes Dale Williams' ILC 46 Wasabi from St.
Francis YC completed a 2 1/2-month tour of Southern California in which it
won every event it entered, although this time it had to correct out on a
pair of 1D48s.
Gordon Miller and Eric Shampain's B-25 Nocona in PHRF 5b and Scott
Birnberg's Indigo in the J/120 class won all their races.
VIC 2000 series winners were Crocodile Rock, Wild Thing, Indigo, Wings,
Wasabi, Steve Flam's Melges 24 - this time with Melges driving, Ernie
Pennell's Farr 44 Bravura in Volvo Class 2, Dale Frye's Dencho 33 James Earl
in PHRF 5a, Artie Johnson and Rick Means' Melges 30 Muddy Waters in PHRF 3,
Ron and Bev Coalson's Beneteau 1-42 French Bred in PHRF 4, and Ian and Ron
Trotter's Andrews 26 Thunderbox in PHRF 5b.
A summary of each day's racing, standings and photos have been posted
nightly on the event web page: http://www.premiere-racing.com. -- Rich
Roberts
HIGH PERFORMANCE
Ullman Sails have been world leader for years. Click onto
http://www.ullmansails.com and find out what so many winners already know --
Ullman Sails are a solid investment. And a cost effective investment as
well. Big boats, small boat, heavy boats, light boats -- it really doesn't
make any difference. The professionals at Ullman Sails have broken the code
and can help move your program up to the next level.
NEWPORT BERMUDA RACE
The Newport Bermuda Race principal Lighthouse Trophy has been won by Eric
Crawford from Easton, Maryland and his 35 year old Rhodes 41 'Restless'.
This immaculate Pearson built fiberglass yacht has the highest handicap
within the 176 strong Newport to Bermuda fleet and suffered least from the
light airs at the finish that snuffed out the hopes of the newer, faster
'favourites.'
'Spirit' owned by Ron Imbriale of Jamestown, RI won the Royal Mail Trophy
for the best corrected time in the AMERICAP Cruising Division of the event.
This was the first ocean race the owner and crew of 'Spirit'. They
indicated in post race interviews that the will be back in the Newport
Bermuda Race in 2002, but next time will move up to the mote competitive
Cruiser/Racer (spinnaker) Division.
The Dorade Trophy for the top boat in IMS Racing and IMS Racing Grand Prix
goes to the Corel 45 'Heatwave' owned by Sal Girodano of Bernardsville, NJ.
'Heatwave' is one of the US Coral 45's being considered for the 2001 US
Admiral's Cup Team.
Trophies, keeper medallions and the St. David's Lighthouse, which is one of
yachting's most coveted 'keeper' trophies, were awarded at the prizegiving
party at Government House in Bermuda. Complete results at
www2.bermudarace.com -- Talbot Wilson
STAN OGILVY DIES
C. Stanley Ogilvy, a champion Star and Etchells 22 sailor and author of five
important books on sailboat racing and yachting history, died on June 20,
2000, at his home in Larchmont, N.Y. He was 87. Stan will be remembered by
many sailors for his racing successes and also for his three books on
one-design racing: Successful Yacht Racing, Thoughts on Small Boat Racing,
and Win More Sailboat Races. Published between 1952 and 1977, they were
characteristic of their author in their affection for the sport, graceful
expression, rigorous analysis, and extreme generosity with ideas for racing
success that many other sailors would have regarded as proprietary.
Stan knew what he was writing about. He raced Stars for more than 30 years,
winning a North American Championship, and later Etchells 22s. By
profession a professor of mathematics at Hamilton College, he wrote six
books in that field. After retiring from racing he was active as a judge
and measurer and wrote excellent histories of two of the pastime's oldest
and most prominent institutions, the Star Class (whose newsletter he edited
for 38 years) and the Larchmont Yacht Club (where he was a member for 62
years). In February the Etchells 22 Class created the C. Stanley Ogilvy
Award for top skipper over 50 years of age at the class world championship.
-- John Rousmaniere
WINNING ELEMENTS
When you win, you want everyone to know about it, and nothing tells the
story better than sharp looking crew apparel from Pacific Yacht Embroidery.
For a winning program, the look of your crew gear is as important as the cut
of your sails. Pacific Yacht Embroidery will make that special effort to set
your crew out from the crowd. Just get in touch with Frank Whitton to learn
how affordable his high quality crew apparel can be. Even if you lose you'll
feel better because you look so good: Pacyacht@aol.com / 619-226-8033
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON
(dmccreary@boats.com -- just this week, David McCreary is sitting in as
Guest Editor) Letters selected to be printed are routinely edited for
clarity, space (250 words max) and to exclude unfounded speculation or
personal attacks. This is not a chat room - you only get one letter per
subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.
From Sir Peter Johnson -- Pascal Herold, president of the Paris based Union
Nationale pour la Course au Large, sailed single-handed out of Plymouth,
England, on June 25 at 1307 GMT (UT) bound for Newport, RI. UNCL is the main
offshore racing club of France. He was sailing his new monohull, 80ft LOA,
which has water ballast and lifting keel. With this vessel, La Folie des
Grinders, he hopes to achieve the single-handed monohull record for this
route with an expected average speed of 14 knots. The rig uis single masted
with three roller headsails and an extra headsail on a stub bowsprit.
La Folie was too long to enter the recent Plymouth to Newport single-handed
race (as was Steve Forssett's Playstation which has been sailing the same
passage). Herold has previously completed both single and two-handed
transatlantic races.
From Steve Loeb -- I was pleased to see Dee Smith's report (#597) that IMS
racing is alive and well in Spain.
I can also report that IMS racing is doing very well and growing in the
North Eastern United States. The heart of the IMS fleet in this area is the
IMS 40 Association. The Association's members consist of sixteen
state-of-the-art IMS racers and cruiser/racers 39-43 feet loa and with IMS
GPH ratings from 551-570. Several additional members are expected before
the end of the Season.
The next Trophy Series event for Association members is the Drumbeat
Regatta, a private IMS 40 regatta to be held in South Dartmouth (Padanaram),
Massachusetts on July 8 and 9. This regatta will be the prep for the IMS
Worlds to be held in Newport the following week.Details about the IMS 40 are
available at www.IMS40.org.
From Ken Guyer -- Well Craig McCaw answered my question regarding why is he
staffing an American challenge with Kiwi's rather than U.S. sailors. They
are simply getting the "best sailors", and making it a "global effort". They
are even looking at "guys from the United Kingdom". The spokesman went on to
claim if they win, they will be open to new ideas on where to actually hold
the defense.
We are rapidly moving into an era of a professional regatta with teams owned
by billionaires who use their money to buy the best (NFL, MLB). Soon to go
will be the yacht club affiliation, or maybe the "bees" will just simply buy
the yacht club. I am not sure that this is in the "best" interest of the
sport.
Wealthy individuals have always been a part of the Cup and always will be.
Although somewhat diluted in recent years, it has always been a nation vs.
nation effort. The sailors should get their share of the loot, they
certainly deserve it. A case can even be made for sailors jumping outside of
their own nationality to sail. But it should end there.
A successful challenge under McCaw's vision for the Cup would not be a
source of national pride as it was for the Australians ('83), Americans
('87), or New Zealanders ('95). It would be a "global" accomplishment under
the heading of "One World".
That may echo a business philosophy of a mega-billionaire who achieved
wealth from supplying communications to the world. It does not follow the
philosophy of an America's Cup team representing a challenge from a yacht
club of one nation to the defending yacht club of another nation. It is too
far from the vision of the America's Cup founders of friendly competition
among nations.
The Curmudgeon's Counsel
Everything in moderation -- but don't over do it.
|
