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SCUTTLEBUTT 1702 - November 2, 2004Powered 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, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere. US OLYMPIC COMMENTARY (Here are some excerpts from a story by Dean Brenner, newly elected Chairman of the US Olympic Sailing Committee) We have significant challenges in front of us, but we also have significant opportunities. Allow me to be absolutely clear - our ultimate goal is to make dramatic improvements in the funding and support of our athletes. We have an extremely deep pool of talented sailors in our country. And we also have the ability to generate dramatic and significant levels of support for our athletes. We have the pieces of the puzzle available to us. Now we must execute. We have four strategic goals for the current quadrennium. More details will follow over the coming weeks and months: 1. Regenerate the positive and passionate atmosphere throughout our Olympic Program, including our athletes, our coaches, our supporters, our staff and our committee. We must create an atmosphere where all who care about Olympic Sailing are pointing in the same direction, and focusing our collective energy towards the international competition. 2. Dramatically improve and increase our fundraising program to reduce the burden on our Olympic Sailors. We are structuring the OSC so that fundraising will be a primary focus. 3. Design a Youth Development Program that contains high value ways of encouraging our best young sailors to begin sailing Olympic class boats. One of the biggest lessons learned in Athens is that Olympic class experience, and specifically Olympic Games experience, is a vital characteristic of a successful Olympic program. We need to be thinking about 2008… and 2012, 2016, 2020 and beyond. 4. Streamline and enhance the way we support our US Sailing Team. There is not yet enough funding and support in our system. We need to raise more funds. But raising more funds is not the only solution. We also need to examine how we operate. Complete story at http://www.ussailing.org/News/2004/chairosc.htm GARY Gary Jobson is sailing's Don Quixote. He's also the Pied Piper, chief campaign manager and number one salesman for our sport. In a US sport media culture that barely acknowledges the existence of the world's most popular sport, soccer, Gary's efforts to get sailing on TV have been Herculean. We had a nice conversation the other day in which he discussed the state of sailing events on TV. Gary's comments are in quotes. "ESPN does not have a single sailing show on the docket for the first time in 19 years that I know of," says Gary. "No doubt a major reason was the interminable racing delays in the America's Cup which were a disaster for TV coverage. "The numerous postponements really hurt. There should have been only two races postponed. There was wind. We would have been racing in Annapolis and I'm sure in Seattle." Probably the biggest reason that there is not much sailing coverage is that it is very difficult and expensive to set all the remote cameras and equipment it takes to capture the excitement of sailing. "People don't realize how hard it is to cover sailing. Football, basketball, tennis, everything is just plugged into a wall. In sailing you have to deal with salt spray, etc." - Richard Hazelton, Editor, 48° North Sailing Magazine, complete editorial at http://www.48north.com/nov_2004/edit.htm GLOBAL CHALLENGE Crews are preparing for another interesting weather system as they head down the coast of Brazil. The current situation shows a high-pressure system developing over the land 200 miles south-east of Uruguay, giving crews plenty to think about on their final stretch to Leg 1 finish. The last few days have been squally which is the result of the high-pressure systems colliding. The winds have been shifty sometimes 180 degrees as the yachts have sailed through the systems. Barclays Adventurer still retains a 21-mile lead but by heading too far offshore Samsung has lost her second to Vaio who's currently tracking Barclays. With the wind fairly predicable over the next couple of days there should be little in the way of place changes but once the fleet rounds the waypoint, positioned south of Punta del Este 150 miles from the finish, Tomlinson believes the fleet will settle into more of a regatta-type race. The estimated time of arrival for the first yachts due into Buenos Aires is Thursday night/Friday morning. - Sue Pelling/Yachting World, full story, http://tinyurl.com/3tvvc THEY JUST KEEP GOING AND GOING At all the regattas around the world, just look at what the crews are wearing. It is no surprise, the Camet 3000 Shorts, Bermuda Shorts, Cargo Shorts, Aruba Shorts and Pants are everywhere, from Opti sailors to the Farr 40's, Maxi's and cruisers. The comfort of the pads, the reinforced Cordura seat, the quick drying breathable Supplex fabrics, and the 97.5% UV protection is the solution to hours on the water. Check out the Shorts, Coolmax shirts, Neoprene Hiking pants, Bubble Tops, Rash Guards and Mylar bags on the Camet web site: http://www.camet.com IN COURT The dispute between Swiss biotech billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli and New Zealand America's Cup captain Russell Coutts is now going through the legal process in Switzerland. Coutts, the most successful skipper in America's Cup history with 14 consecutive race wins in the last three events, was sacked last July by Bertarelli, who had lured him away from Team New Zealand in 2003 to lead the Swiss Alinghi team. Bertarelli contends that Coutts breached his contract, Coutts that Bertarelli terminated it illegally. "We've started the arbitration procedure about my employment contract," Coutts said. "Both sides have nominated one arbitrator and those two nominate a chairman and that's all been done. We're sorting out the date for the first hearing." Coutts is fighting on two fronts. Twice the Swiss Cup holders have changed the protocol, one of the key documents governing the next America's Cup in 2007. The last alteration, on Jan 21, effectively prevented Coutts from moving to any other team, in any capacity. Made without consultation, the change affected many other sailors and tops the agenda at all challenger meetings. "I disagree with the rule entirely," Coutts said. "I want to get my freedom back. I want to sail in the next Cup if I choose to." "Whether I sail is contingent on a lot of things; on a team wanting me or some other alternative that I might decide to pursue," he said. "But at this stage I can't make any plans until they rule on the rules." Bertarelli has said it will be impossible for Coutts to sail for a rival team because of a non-compete clause in his contract. Coutts disagrees. "The non-compete clause does not apply if the contract was terminated illegally or if they have breached certain terms of the contract," he said. "I would suggest you've got to ask why the protocol rule was put in place at all if they thought they were protected under the contract." - By Tim Jeffery, Telegraph, full story, http://tinyurl.com/48pne VENDEE GLOBE (Here is an excerpt of a story from the Vendee Globe 2004 race website, detailing some of the behind the scenes solutions for the 20 skippers that will start their singlehanded, non-stop, around the world race on November 7th) The supplies of food and diesel have their importance and many of the racers are paying close attention to these details. Gérard Nigault is one of the pillars of the Bonduelle Team, and has been working on Jean Le Cam's boat for years. "We had to take into account two aspects concerning the supplies," explained Gérard. "The contents and the containers. "The content involves the organisation, of course, of meals, paying close attention to the required calories, as well as Jean's tastes and preferences. As for the containers, we had to manage the limited space while ensuring they were watertight. We thus vacuum-packed the food, wedged the cans in the cardboard boxes, and heat-wrapped the lot. Everything was then tested by us. One of the boxes was left for a whole weekend in a barrel of water. Not a single drop made it through to the cardboard box! "In this way, we prepared twenty eight boxes, based on two boxes a week, and then the fourteen weeks that in theory the race will last. We also added a special Christmas package and a box of freeze-dried food, just in case! The contents of each box are split in two, one part for the main dishes, based on fish and white meat, and the other for condiments, sugar, coffee, jam, and one of the rare pleasures that Jean accepts, chocolate with nuts." - Event website, full story: http://www.vendeeglobe.fr/uk/infos/411.html DECISION TIME Isn't it time you had real information from the instrument system on your boat? Ockam instruments are accurate, responsive and reliable. Upgrade to the amazing Tryad processor, swap your tired fluxgate compass for the compact powerhouse Teeter-Todter 3D compass, replace that stubby, stiff bearing masthead sensor with a tall Airys wand, display target speeds and angles from OckamSoft 4. These and a wide range of further enhancements will significantly boost your system's performance and make a real difference on the course. Find out more by contacting Lat Spinney (lat@ockam.com) or check out http://www.ockam.com NEWS BRIEFS * The dates for the 3rd Caribbean Laser Midwinter in Cabarete, Dominican Republic have been changed to January 14th-16th, 2005. This change will permit the Laser racers to continue with the tradition of participating in the Miami OCR following the Midwinters. For more information: http://www.caribwind.com * US Sailing is now accepting nominations for the 2004 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards, considered the highest individual sailing honors in the United States. The awards are presented annually to the individual yachtsman and yachtswoman who demonstrate excellence through outstanding on-the-water achievement during the current year. Members of US Sailing can nominate their favorite male and female sailors to receive this distinguished award through November 30, 2004, on US Sailing's website at http://www.ussailing.org/awards/rolex * Claire Leroy and Christine Briand, both of France, tied for victory in the Rolex Osprey Cup, an ISAF Grade 1 match race event sailed October 28-31 in St. Petersburg, Fla. After completing five flights of matches and working against daily conditions of light wind on Tampa Bay, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club race committee determined that the overall standings after five flights would determine the winner. Both Leroy and Briand tied with four wins and one loss, giving them the first-ever shared Rolex Osprey Cup title. - http://www.rolexwomensmatch.org/roc/2004/ospreyhome.html * US Sailing has nominated 2004 Olympic Finn representative Kevin Hall as the sailing representative for the John Wooden Trophy. The national award is presented to two athletes - one intercollegiate and one Olympic or professional - distinguished for their character, sportsmanship, and contribution to society. After reviewing nearly 200 nominations, Kevin is among eleven other elite athletes that have reached the semifinal round. A list of the semifinalists is available at http://www.aforbw.org/johnwooden/2004_semifinals.asp * The eighteen college teams competing last weekend in the Edwin Schell Trophy collegiate regatta at MIT had an hour long postponement as the World Champion Boston Red Sox parade cruised by within twenty feet from the MIT dock in Boston's famous Duckboats. With over 3.2 million people watching the parade and an estimated 400,000 around the lower basin of the Charles River, Saturday's races must have broken some sort of record for "most ever spectators at a sailing event". The event was dominated by Brown University. Full results: http://www.collegesailing.org/00intersx/f04/schell.htm * Virtual Spectator and iVistra have dropped High Court actions against each other over technology ownership. The row was kicked off last year when Virtual Spectator alleged that staff had found a confidential iVistra document showing iVistra was presenting intellectual property that belonged to Virtual Spectator. iVistra counter-sued, seeking to stop Virtual Spectator acting on the information and to return the document. Both were seeking to supply television and internet graphics for the 2007 America's Cup, but in the end neither party won the America's Cup work. - NZ Herald, full story, http://tinyurl.com/55wo8 MARCH INTO RACING FUN The first Bongo Midwinters will be March 17-19 in Sarasota, FL, a great winter getaway. Hull #35 is in production, Bongo owners are psyched to be sailing their singlehanded sport boats, and fleets are forming around the country! Bongo Sailors Have Fun Every Day. http://www.sailabongo.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 Ed Stiess (re the Curmudgeon's Conundrum in Issue 1701: What hair color do they put on the driver's license of a bald man?): My license reads- Hair: N/A * From Karen Prioleau: This doesn't solve your conundrum, but it's worth a look (now posted on the Scuttlebutt website): http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/04/tattoo.jpg * From Ron "Bart" Bartkoski: With regards to Greg Holman's taking a shot at the Atlantic crossing record for beach cats, I wonder if Greg has contacted the 150 boats of ARC and ask if they would mind setting their plans aside to come and rescue him? Although no sailor would ever decline to come to the rescue of a fellow sailor, to have someone plan their high risk venture along side of your well-planned vacation seems to me a bit of an imposition. If I were sailing the ARC this year, I think I'd have a contract handy! * From Dean Hubbard: One would think that a U.S. Attorney General would have better use of the taxpayers funds than to prosecute sailors participating in a non-commercial sailboat race to a seldom visited shore. When "terrorists" are so easily defined by a government as it's own citizens out for a sail on small boats, it's time to inject some reality into an overzealous government official's argument as Judge Lawrence King has soberly decided. The constant flag waving, showboating patriotism, bogus terrorist captures, and now a stretch of a charge of "trading with the enemy" on a regatta fleet makes the U.S. look very stupid and shortsighted. The broad paw of an unnecessarily oppresive regime is not easily recognized until the simplest things in life take on a sinister meaning to those in charge. This U.S. Attorney General needs to lift his sights to a broader horizon to give the taxpayers their money's worth. * Scott MacLeod, Tour Director, Swedish Match Tour: 3 cheers for Bill Doyle (re A-Cup technology, Issue 1700)! The very successful NASCAR model proves that it's not about the technology - it's about the teams, teamwork and mostly the competition. Beware; technology can price you right out of the market in a heartbeat. * From H. P. "Sandy" Purdon: Bill Doyle's guest commentary hit a nerve. It seems to me that the old and heavy 12 meters were actually more interesting for "match" racing than what we have today with the IACC boats. We don't see the IACC boats do much but straight-line speed, which is impressive. Speed is all relative in match racing and the speed doesn't really come across on television. The America's Cup is after all a match racing event where the object is just to get across the finish line ahead of your single competitor. It's not about speed around the course. But the interesting strategy of match racing with boats where you have to consider the limitations of the 12's is the deliberate moves of the helmsman and crew to place the boat in a controlling position. It seems that we had more close covering, ducking, slam dunks and general match racing strategic events with the slower and heavier 12's. There are plenty of other great events that highlight pure speed through the water. The America's Cup is special in that it is all about the strategy of placing your boat in relation to your competitor. * From Zach de Beer (edited to our 250 word limit): I agree with Bill Doyle regarding his observations about F1 racing versus "NASCAR" but with respect, I suggest that Bill is wrongly accusing technology of creating cost pressure in F1 and potentially the AC. It is better to compare F1 to IRL than NASCAR. The overriding reason for IRL being much cheaper than F1 is that IRL selects 3 chassis providers and 3 engine providers every three years. The prices of the chassis and engines are fixed. The 20 or so IRL teams are then free to choose what they want. The cost of the technology is spread over a larger customer base and is restricted by the price controls. Those of us that follow F1 will know that all the teams have ganged up against Ferrari at the end of the 2004 season. They are proposing a rule change that would greatly restrict Ferrari from testing at the 2 racetracks that they own. Ferrari has more that anything else "out tested" the rest of the field over the last few years with devastating results. The big budget AC teams, "out test" the lesser teams. Whatever the rule, it is of lesser importance than the setting of limits on the teams. Restrict sail inventories, spars, replacement appendages, the number of technical people in the design team or take the IRL route and select 2 design teams, 2 builders and 2 sail makers and set the prices. Lastly, dive for cover for the 'restrictees' won't be happy. * From Peter Huston (re the current Scuttlebutt website survey on A-Cup design) It would be interesting to know how people interpret the question of changes to the America's Cup. Exactly what does more like NASCAR or F1 mean? The current group of people and companies who participate in and support the America's Cup seemed well served by the existing format - witness the explosion of interest now that the event is in Europe. A faster monohull is still a slow boat by comparison to anything that rides on a foil. Will the general public better understand the event and be attracted to it if it is sailed in boats with greater acceleration potential that end up being separated by half a mile too quickly and too often? If "good TV" is the desired result, is this the solution? Perhaps a better question should be "what is the America's Cup relative to other sports?" How about "the world's toughest game played by very smart and fascinating people." The America's Cup is what it is. Anyone who really wants a different format ought to start their own series. SURVEY UPDATE After a day of polling, early voters have weighed in on which direction the America's Cup should go after the 2007 event. Should there be extensive cost controls to allow for greater participation, or should the latest in modern technology be permitted to insure that the boat design remains at the forefront of the sport? Initial opinion is on the side of cost controls, or as stated in the survey, 'More like NASCAR.' Scuttlebutt joins the US electoral process, and encourages you to place your vote here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Women like quiet men because they think they are listening. |
