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SCUTTLEBUTT 1360 - June 27, 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. U.S. YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS Milwaukee, WI (June 26, 2003) - In his fourth time to the US Youth Championship, Emery Wager of Seattle, WA, dominated the Laser fleet from the first day to win the Robert L. Johnstone III Trophy. Emery's score of eight bullets, a fourth and a fifth for 17 total points was good enough to keep him from having to sail in the final race. Wager credits his win to good practice. "In Seattle, we can sail year round. I can practice in a variety of conditions on Puget Sound as well as Lake Washington." Former U.S. Youth Champion and Olympic medalist Carl Buchan is one of Wager's role models. Wager says that Buchan advised him, "If you want to win, it's not enough to just sail fast, you have to be tough." In second place in the Laser fleet, also with a significant enough lead to sit out today's final race, was Mike Wilde of Rochester, NY, with 32 points. In the Club 420 fleet, last year's runners up, Zachary Brown with crew Melanie Roberts (both from San Diego, CA) hung on to their lead to win the championship with finishes of 1-1-3-5-4-4-4-1-2-(11)-8 for 33 total points. It was not an easy win. According to Brown, "We were way back in the fleet and banged the left corner to come back to eighth." With their win, Brown and Roberts take home the Manton Scott Perpetual Trophy. The battle for second place overall in the Club 420 fleet was won by two brothers who overtook their sisters on the final day to place second overall. Erik Storck (Huntington, NY) and John Kempton with 39 total point beat Leigh Kempton and Kaitlin Storck with 48 total points. The David M. Perry Perpetual Sportsmanship Trophies were awarded to the sailors voted by their peers as demonstrating true sportsmanship behavior in each fleet. The awards went to the winner of the Laser class Emery Wager, to Club 420 skipper Zack Kavanaugh (South Dartmouth, MA) and Club 420 crew Gardiner Bowen (Wayland, MA). Complete results at: http://www.ussailing.org/youthchamp/2003/RaceZone.asp SWEDISH MATCH TOUR Jesper Radich's win at Match Race Germany, his third on Swedish Match Tour 2002/2003, moved the Danish helmsman into first place on the Rankings with one event, the Swedish Match Cup, June 30 - July 6 in Marstrand, Sweden, remaining. In addition to Match Race Germany, which he also won last year, Radich was victorious at the Bermuda Gold Cup and ACI HTmobile Cup, on an up-and-down year on the world's premier professional sailing series, as three finishes outside of the top eight, resulting in no Rankings points, have balanced his successes. In second place on the current Rankings is Radich's countryman Jes Gram-Hansen of Team Victory Lane, whose eight month reign as the Rankings leader was ended by the skipper currently sitting in third place, Australian James Spithill, former helmsman for the OneWorld Challenge. - Shawn McBride 1. Jesper Radich, DEN/Team Radich, 103PTS 2. Jes Gram-Hansen, DEN/Team Victory Lane, 88 3. James Spithill, AUS/Team Spithill, 86 4. Ed Baird, USA/Team Musto, 57 5. Chris Law, GBR/"The Outlaws," 51 6. Magnus Holmberg, SWE/Team Holmberg, 50 7. Paolo Cian, ITA/Riviera di Rimini Sailing Team, 47 8. Karol Jablonski, POL/Jablonski Sailing Team, 46 9. Ken Read, USA/Saucony Racing, 35 10. Mattias Rahm, SWE/Team Stena Bulk 32 Event website: http://www.swedishmatchtour.com TRADING IN YOUR 24 FOR AN ARK? Have you noticed a bit of rain lately? (If not, you must be living in a cave in the mountains of North Carolina!). If you find yourself always wanting to sail two-by-two, you may be suffering from "arkitis." Dr. Layline's prescription? New foul weather gear! Check out the latest offerings from Henri Lloyd in our 23-page mini catalog. Now through Labor Day, purchase $100 worth of Henri Lloyd gear from Layline, and get a free backpack! If you missed your catalog in the mail, call 800.542.5463 or check it out online: http://www.layline.com/hl/hl.htm CONFIRMED Briton Andy Claughton has been given the top design job with Team New Zealand as chief executive Grant Dalton drives the defeated America's Cup team forward into their new role as challengers in Europe. Claughton, a leading figure at Southampton University's highly regarded marine technology Wolfson Unit, was on Team New Zealand's design staff in the 2003 Cup. Now Dalton has promoted him to chief co-ordinator. "Having Andy is key," Dalton said. American John Kostecki and Kiwi sail trimmer Ross Holcrow, cup veterans and leaders of the winning Illbruck Volvo Ocean Race crew two years ago, have also been hired in Dalton's recruitment drive. Kostecki will act as tactician to retained skipper Dean Barker and be party to design decisions. New Zealander Kevin Shoebridge fills the new post of sailing manager. A graduate of the Peter Blake/ Grant Dalton no-nonsense school of round-the-world sailing, he holds equal authority to Barker and Kostecki and marks Team New Zealand's return to a sailor-driven campaign. Tim Jeffrey, http://sport.telegraph.co.uk Also, Kiwi Craig Monk announced that he has signed with his country fellowman Gavin Brady with the Oracle BMW Racing syndicate's venture towards the America's Cup 2007. Monk, who was grinder for OneWorld in the last cup, was a large part of both the successful 1995 challenge and the successful 2000 defense. http://www.cupineurope.com/LatestNews/2007Oracle-LN2.htm BLOCK ISLAND RACE WEEK Block Island, RI, June 26, 2003-Glassy seas and fickle breezes made for hard luck stories on Block Island Sound Thursday for day four of the Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex. Fluky winds killed any chance of racing for the big boat class, but three other classes sailed shortened courses in patchy variable conditions after a three-hour wait ashore in sunny, sweltering conditions with only a hint of a breeze. For William Baxter, Jr., owner and skipper of the Abbott 33 Pirate, from Cutchogue, NY, the race was a mixed blessing. Baxter's run of top-two finishes came to a screeching halt when he finished fifth. Pirate was holding second to Ed Austin's Chinook (J/30) halfway down the run to the finish of race 6. Then the wind died, filled in from behind and brought the trailing boats up to the front. However, with six races completed, Pirate leads second-placed Chinook by 8 points and cannot be beaten on Friday. Class honors have yet to be settled in the J/105 class, but Dr. Thomas Enright's Pretty Sketchy from Bristol, RI, has a commanding lead. After winning yesterday's sixth race in the hotly contested 34-boat class, Pretty Sketchy has the low score of 28 points. Jim Sorensen's Wet Leopard is second with 44 points. As long as Enright finishes in the top 11 in Friday's race, he will win the class title. Racing in the 20th edition of the biennial regatta for ocean racers wraps up on Friday. - Keith Taylor; full results available at http://www.blockislandraceweek.com OLIN STEPHENS At the 60th Anniversary regatta of the Lightning class, sailors were standing in the boat park studying a brand new example of this classic, first sailed in 1938. Among the gathered sailors was Olin Stephens, a man associated-in the minds of many-with America's Cup defenders and high-end ocean racers. In the mindset of this group, however, Olin Stephens is The Genius Who Designed the Lightning. Someone said, "Olin, you've been looking at the Lightning as long as anyone in the world. If you could design the boat all over again, what would you change?" There was a pause as he considered the question. After a long time he began to speak, "Do you think, (another pause) we really need that skeg?" There was a round of laughter. "You're supposed to know that," was the reply. Mr. Stephens just smiled, crouched under the boat, and ran his hand along the skeg, "Has anyone tried sailing without it?" he said. His listeners were stunned. Fifteen thousand Lightnings into the run, the boat's designer was still open to a possible design improvement. Maybe that's what made Olin Stephens the giant of his generation. The guy's still looking for the next performance improvement. He can't turn it off. And that's why at age 95 he always seems like the youngest person in the room. At that moment, if anyone had produced a saw, we would gladly have hacked off a skeg and gone out for two-boat testing. - Bill Faude, Sail magazine website, full story: http://www.sailmagazine.com/features/OlinAndLightnings JAMES SPITHILL (The Daily Sail website has a long and interesting interview with James Spithill. Here's just a tiny excerpt.) Spithill says that he is no longer under contract to OneWorld and whether they go again remains to be seen but will depend upon the final choice of venue. He doesn't have an opinion about the best choice of those shortlisted by Alinghi. "To be honest, I haven't been to most of the places that have been mentioned. I would obviously like to see it go to a place where they have got good facilities and consistent breeze. It would be really good for the spectators if they could have some sort of viaduct set-up so that everyone can see. It would be a nice town that enjoys sailing so we can have some good racing. You've got to have some kind of set-up for the guys with the superyachts, because it is great having all them down there. That encourages them to get involved and it makes the event even bigger." Now 24 Spithill already has the experience of driving in two America's Cups under his belt and there is presumably the prospect for many, many more to come. "We're pretty interested in being involved with the Cup again and a few teams have approached us," he says of his Cup plans going ahead. - The Daily Sail, http://thedailysail.com YOU CAN HANDLE IT When it's blowing 23 knots, upwind sailing means making some adjustments. Racers intent on victory reach for the Navtech Integral Backstay Adjuster. With a few quick pumps, you can increase backstay tension, straighten the forestay, depower your main, and pick up speed. The easy-to-read gauge and relief valve are there to keep you aware of exactly how much pressure you're under. In case you forgot. Find your current one bleeding off pressure by the windward mark? Lower your blood pressure. We can handle it. Annapolis Performance Sailing and Navtech can rebuild it. More info @ http://www.apsltd.com/depts/dept3236.asp NEWS BRIEFS * Following the ISAF Mid-Year meeting in Oslo, ISAF have published new criteria for the Evaluation event to be staged in September 2003 and May 2004 with a view to making recommendations for future Olympic Windsurfing equipment. One point that should be emphasized is that ISAF is encouraging all manufacturers to think "outside the box", which could lead to a new and improved format; possibly including slalom and/or marathon racing (formats that require judges are excluded). - Full story: http://www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=4771 * The Trustees of the Museum of Yachting in Newport RI elected and installed new officers to its' Executive Board. Kathleen S. Morton was selected as Chairperson, William N. Doyle as Vice Chair and Patricia Ann Jayson was re-elected to the Secretary/Treasurer position. Gerald B. Bay, Dorsey Milot Beard, Chris Bouzaid, Robert Cooper, William N. Doyle (Vice Chair), Tom Hazelhurst, Patricia Ann Jayson (Secretary/Treasurer), Herb McCormick, Kathleen S. Morton (Chair), Gov. Bruce Sundlan and David B. Vietor. * Thursday's temperatures at the J22 NA's reached the upper 70's and the prevailing winds steadily increased upwards to over 20 knots. Hosted by Youngstown YC, standings after seven races (47-boats): 1) Peter McChesney Jr, Annapolis YC, 28; 2) Scott Nixon, Annapolis YC, 34; 3) Kelsom Elam, Rush Creek YC, 35; 4) Terry Flynn, Houston YC, 39. 5) Greg Fisher, Eastport YC, 39. Racing finishes on Saturday. - http://www.yyc.org/j22 * Reports from Kiel, Germany reveal that the conditions on Thursday were more suitable for sunblock than for sailing at the 2003 Kieler Woche. Only the Laser and Yngling classes were able to race, with no races completed in any of the other classes due to lack of wind. Event website: http://www.kielerwoche.de/ CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS * July 19-27: Race Week, Larchmont Yacht Club, http://www.larchmontyc.org * June 28-29: Opti Midwest Championship, Macatawa Bay Yacht Club. Over 115 young sailors from 17 states, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia in Canada, as well as Barbados and Sweden. http://www.mbyc.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 or a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.) * From John McBrearty: Regarding Dan Alpern's post about racer's being unfamiliar with the rules. While I agree that racers should be familiar with the RRS, to require that they take a "rules test' will only further deplete the number of boat owners who will participate in our sport. Perhaps the constant, ongoing, revision of the RRS should be brought to a halt. Baseball, soccer, ice hockey and football spring to mind as successful sports where the rules are not changed every three or four years. In the alternative, look on the bright side, you can always educate the ignorant in the "room" we all hate! * From Ralph Taylor: (re Dennis Farley's question about rules): The problem of racers who don't know or misunderstand the rules exists everywhere. For example, I saw with dismay one of the juniors I coach re-round a mark recently. I wouldn't have thought he was contaminated with "old rule-itis"; he's only been sailing three years. (We reviewed the touching a mark rule in the post-race wrap-up.) Perhaps part of it is the "willful" in "willfully ignorant". Another part might be mistakenly counting on the Rules to be perpetual and unchanging, not recognizing the time-limited aspect the racing rules have taken on. (Six years later, we're still fighting on the "mast-abeam" front.) Too few racers actually own a current book of the Racing Rules of Sailing and some of those haven't read it or understand it. The RRS are a bit complicated, but not much more than the infield fly rule. Asking your Race Committee to put on a seminar on the Racing Rules of Sailing sounds like an excellent place to start. They could invite one or more of the many experts in your region to give it. If you're willfully ignorant guy doesn't attend, slap him upside the protest flag the next time he breaks a rule. * Gordon Livingston: In Baltimore, MD, our racing fleet of J-22's and Sonars have a (mandatory) rules meeting for all racing skippers before the season starts in which presentations are made by members of our "rules committee" followed by a written test. It's all free of charge, occupies one evening a year, and promotes a basic level of rules knowledge among everyone out there. * From Geoffrey Mason, Executive Director, America's Cup TV: In mounting the global television coverage of Cup racing on the Hauraki Gulf in 2003, Dyer Jones was our primary day-to-day contact. No one could have brought more passion and professionalism to this sizeable challenge, and viewers worldwide benefited immeasurably from his understanding of the broadcasters' needs, and how best to align those demands with the integrity of the racing. Those of us who deal every day with cameras, microphones, helicopters, and chase boats will always be deeply indebted to Dyer for his unparalleled commitment. * From Jeffrey Littell: Bill Ficker is the first to win a triple crown of sailing: the America's Cup, Congressional Cup, and the Star Worlds. Surely this would make Bill worthy of consideration for election to Sailing World's Hall of Fame. * From: Rick Price: I agree with Ralph Deeds observation that pioneer Bill Lapworth's name is missing from the Sailing World Hall of Fame. His efforts gave quite a few sailors the opportunity to become famous sailors! I * Dick Enersen: In 'Butt 1359 a reader stated, "The AC skippers train and practice in Etchells and the 12 meters were a larger spin-off of them." Whoa. Skip Etchells should certainly be considered for the Hall of Fame, but the 12 Meter Class came to be long before he was born. CURMUDGEON'S QUOTATIONS "A woman drove me to drink - and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her." - W.C. Fields |
