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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 559 - May 1, 2000
NEWPORT TO ENSENADA RACE
ENSENADA, Mexico--End runs by Magnitude and Cantata paid off with victories
over boats that took more direct routes to Baja California in the 53rd
Newport-to-Ensenada International Yacht Race. Magnitude, an Andrews 70
turbo sled owned by Doug Baker of Long Beach, was first among 441 entries
to finish Saturday. Coming in second, four minutes back, was Roy Disney's
Pyewacket, the record holder. Magnitude's elapsed time was 15 hours 57
minutes 50 seconds, well off Pyewacket's wind-blown record of 11:54:00 in
1998.
Cantata, an Andrews 53 owned by Ron Kuntz, a service station operator from
Oceanside, finished 32 minutes later but was the overall winner on
corrected handicap time. That entailed sailing more than the straight-line
125 nautical miles to find stronger winds offshore. "I have no idea what
happened," a joyous Kuntz said, joking. "There was a [pre-race] gale
warning out to San Nicolas Island," he said. "We didn't want a gale, but it
was one of those times when we had a game plan and stuck to it. To me, it
looked like a sucker play to go down the beach."
Cantata thrived in winds of 20-22 knots, while boats closer to
shore--especially those that took the rhumb (direct) line inside the
Coronado Islands past the border--suffered in a heavy swell with winds as
light as three knots.
Baker didn't take Magnitude as far out as Cantata but had steady 10-knot
breezes that kept him close behind Pyewacket. "They're faster," Baker said.
"It was dark and we couldn't see them most of the time, and when we got
into the bay [the wind] got shifty. We caught a shift that they didn't."
It was the first time Magnitude had beaten Pyewacket, although both broke
the latter's record in the Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii last year.
"They're the best," Baker said. "When you beat them, you've beaten somebody."
Friday's start was delayed for an hour and 20 minutes while the race
committee struggled to stabilize an inflatable marker buoy that was
drifting in an eight-foot swell. - Rich Roberts, LA Times
Full story: http://www.latimes.com/sports/times/20000430/t000040825.html
Partial list of class winners: PHRF-A STARS & STRIPES, DENNIS CONNER;
PHRF-B 1 STARFIRE, CHRIS/JILL GUILD PHRF-C PREDATOR, HOWARD SCHUTTER;
PHRF-D NITRO, JOHN/JOEL MESSENGER; PHRF-H FAT CHANCE, STEVE BROWN; PHRF-K
DAY TRIPPER, ANDY HORNING PHRF-F TRANQUILITY, MAX/ SHIRLEY LYNN; PHRF-I
WHISPER, AL BERG; PHRF-E 4 SORCERER, BILL MCKEEVER/ DENNIS ROSE; PHRF-J
CLASS ACTION, JOHN MONKVIC; PHRF-G FOGGY NOTION, TOM KENNEDY; PHRF-L
VALKYRIE, DON ALBRECHT; ULDB-A 1 PENDRAGON IV, JOHN MACLAURIN; ULDB-B
CANTATA RON KUNTZ; ULDB-C 1 BALLISTIC, BOB ROBERT PLANT; ULDB-D 1 CHEAP
SUNGLAS, JOHN ELDREDGE; ANCIENT MARINER KELPIE, JAMES DOBROTT J120 INDIGO,
SCOTT BIRNBERG; ORCA 1 FREESTYLE, JERRY WETZLER;
Complete Results: http://www.nosa.org/
CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS: Overall, this was a pretty good race once the
RC figured out how to set up the starting line. There was great breeze at
the scheduled noon start, which frustrated the fleet and resulted in some
pretty outrageous banter on VHF radio.
Dennis Conner had the best corrected time in PHRF sailing his new J/120
Stars & Stripes. The curmudgeon sailed on Jim Madden's J/160 Stark Raving
Mad, which took second in that class - losing to DC by less than 11 minutes.
Interestingly, Stars & Stripes was not the first J/120 to finish. Scott
Birnberg's Indigo racing in the J/120 class beat DC to Ensenada
boat-for-boat. The two classes were on different starting lines, but
started at the same time. The dock talk was that Conner sailed in PHRF
rather than the one-design class so he could use his entire PHRF sail
inventory, which included a Code Zero.
ANNAPOLIS NOOD
Annapolis (Md.) April 30, 2000 - Brainpower, patience, and a bit of luck
were the ticket to a class lead in the light-air conditions that opened the
Sailing World NOOD regatta, hosted April 28 to 30 by Annapolis Yacht Club.
But in the deciding races of this three-day event, the rules of the game
radically changed. Heavy-air boat handling was key as this 225-boat fleet
sailed their regatta finale in stiff northerly winds that ranged 14 to 20
knots.
"In our last race, all we needed to do was not crash and burn. But we
nearly did just that," said Annapolis skipper John Ebell, who won the
Catalina 27 class on a tie-breaker. Ebell and his crew entered the final
day with a comfortable leading margin. They won today's first race; but
after a bad start in the second race, their trophy chances became much
slimmer. This local crew, as Ebell said, "clawed their way back" to regain
their leading edge and to take a class win on the slimest of margins.
Class competition that escalated into a tight points situation was the rule
at the second Annapolis NOOD: seven of 17 classes were decided by tie
scores or by a single point. Dan Cheresh's One Design 35 Extreme (Holland,
Mich.) and Robert Hughes' Heartbreaker (Ada, Mich.) entered the final race
tied in points. But having Hughes--who has already won two class regattas
this year--as his nemesis in the finale was something Cheresh could have
predicted.
"We knew it was going to be a tough battle," said Cheresh. "Right now, Bob
[Hughes] is the class." Extreme, with tactician Terry Hutchinson, and
Heartbreaker, with Chris Larson, sailed a close final race that ended in a
tacking duel on the final windward leg. Cheresh took the class win by a
one-point edge.
In strong and light winds alike, playing the current was key to taking a
win at the NOOD. "You had to know the current. . . The water level is about
two feet above normal, so the tide is running very strong," said local
sailor Mike Hobson, helmsman of the winning J/24 Meltemi, owned by Mike
Datch. According to Hobson, sailors with local knowledge did not
necessarily have an edge as the current is not running in its typical fashion.
Mumm 30 skipper Tim McCarron of Winnetka (Ill.) and his crew on Mirage
became the winner of the Lewmar Cup. McCarron topped a fleet of 21 Mumm
30s--a field that included many of this class' top players, including
reigning World Champion Ed Collins (Fairfield, Conn.)
The first Annapolis NOOD was held in May 1999. The event drew 208 boats,
which was the largest-ever inaugural fleet in the 12-year history of the
NOOD. A total of 225 boats and 17 classes competed this year, on four
racing circles set up on the Chesapeake Bay and at the mouth of the Severn
River. Skippers traveled from 22 States, the District of Columbia, and
Canada to compete. - Cynthia Goss
Complete results: http://www.sailingworld.com
US SOLING CHAMPIONSHIP - Special report from Dean Brenner
Another very good day for our team ... We scored a 2nd and a 3rd today in
a light and shifty northerly breeze. These two scores, combined with the
1, 1, 1, 3 we had from the previous two days, give us an insurmountable
lead and victory here at the US Championships. There is one race left
tomorrow, but our lead will allow is to sit out tomorrow's race and watch
our competitors from our coach boat.
Once again, we had good speed and boathandling today, and we played our
tactics by the book, staying between our nearest competitor, Rod Davis from
New Zealand, and the next mark. The conditions were nor easy today, with
the northerly dying out several times, and the sea breeze fighting to come
in from the west. But the sea breeze never made it in, and ultimately a
northeast wind dominated the day.
This event has been a good, positive experience for our team. We are
sailing well, are confident in our abilities, and we are having a lot of
fun on the water. While we are very pleased with our performance here, the
real goal remains the Fleet Racing Qualifier, which begins on Tuesday.
That will be a four-day event, with nine races scheduled.
The scores for the US Championship, through six races with one throwout:
1st place - Ed Baird, Tom Burnham and Dean Brenner 8 pts.
2nd place - Rod Davis (New Zealand) 10 pts.
3rd place - Jeff Madrigali (USA) 16 pts.
4th place - Mark Mendelblatt (USA) 18 pts.
5th place - Andy Horton (USA) 19 pts.
Complete results: http://www.ussailing.org/News/solingnational00.htm
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net)
Letters selected to be printed are routinely edited for clarity, space (250
words max) or to exclude personal attacks. But only one letter per subject,
so give it your best shot and don't whine if people disagree.
-- From Cole Price - Judging from their letters, some of Scuttlebutt's
readers have lost site of the point that Dave Rustigian was attempting to
make in his letter. Dave was not saying that Asos are faster or slower than
symmetrical spinnakers. PHRF allows you to race with Asos now, without
paying a penalty . . . unless you use an Aso and a Symmetrical spinnaker
during the same race. Dave doesn't want to see a change that would
increase the cost of racing PHRF by compelling boats to carry both
symmetrical and A-symmetrical spinnakers to be competitive. Lets end the
debate over which type of spinnaker is "better". They each have their
advantages in different conditions. Lets focus on whether permitting the
use of both types of spinnakers during the same race without penalty would
start an "arms race" that might reduce participation in PHRF racing.
-- From Tom Wheatley (Regarding Dave Rustigian's comments about symmetrical
vs. asymmetrical spinnakers) - for one certainly hope that the So Cal
Regional PHRF has the wisdom to allow both to be carried on a boat during a
race without a penalty. Why should one be punished for trying to make his
or her boat go faster with a sail that may be a different shape but
approximately the same size? After all PHRF still allows bloopers without a
penalty.
--From Paul Bishop - I think Craig Fletcher has it correct. Rate the
area. If the A-Sail isn't any larger than the existing spinnaker it should
not incur a penalty. Many PHRFers sail with Jib Tops in their inventories.
These sails are faster on a particular point of sail and wind condition
than a conventional genoa. No one seems to be carrying a rating penalty
for having one.
Similarly, when a J24 sailor buys a 0.5 oz kite he may have a speed
advantage over his class-legal competitors in some wind conditions, yet he
caries no penalty. Many top-level PHRF boats currently carry kites for
light, heavy, and reaching conditions. They do not carry any penalty for
this "quiver" of kites. Why not allow the reacher to be an A-Sail?
Let's not even begin to discuss the advantages of a boat that carries light
and heavy #1s versus his competitor who has to make do with his AP in all
conditions. Again, no rating penalty.
Many people might be wondering where the "extra performance" is when they
fly their new A-Sail on their masthead cruiser/racer with standard pole
lengths. Not to mention that 6 second penalty has to be dragged upwind as
well.
Let's be sure PHRF is rating PERFORMANCE, not published hype.
Curmudgeon's comment: Enough already. The PHRF thread is once again
officially dead.
KEY WEST TO BALTIMORE RACE
Bob Towse's 66' Reichel Pugh designed BLUE YANKEE was first to finish and
was confirmed as the overall winner of the Storm Trysail Club's inaugural
Key West to Baltimore Race for the Hemingway Cup. This new 1000 mile ocean
race started from Key West on 23-Apr-00 and BLUE YANKEE set what is now the
course record elapsed time of only 95 hours to finish at Baltimore's inner
harbor just before noon on Thursday 27-Apr-00.
The Race was extremely challenging and featured gale winds and severe
squalls which caused the two fastest yachts - Zephyrus IV and Chessie
Racing to be dismasted. The gale winds were caused by two developing low
pressure systems which combined South of Cape Hatteras to create storm
conditions. The thunderstorms spun off a warm front and battered the fleet
with winds over 50 knots. Several hours later a cold frontal passage
brought in strong and chilly North winds. - Steve Benjamin
BALTIMORE RACE CARNAGE SIDEBAR
"I was down below (on Zephyrus) packing the spinnaker with Bill Biewenga,"
said crew man Dobbs Davis of Annapolis. "We heard this loud bang. The rig
jumped to leeward and came down through the deck. We watched the bottom of
the mast sawing through the boat toward us, breaking everything in its
path. Carbon fiber was flying everywhere."
Davis said it landed in a walled-off section of cabin holding the head. The
beefed-up structure there apparently kept it from poking through the hull
and sinking the boat. "Luckily, no one was in the head at the time," Davis
said. Still, all hands were ordered topsides with life vests on and life
rafts readied. Davis said it took 20 to 30 minutes to cut away the rig and
deep-six it in 8- to 10-foot seas and 35 to 40 knots of wind. Both boats
then motored overnight to Morehead City.
On Chessie, the mast snapped six to eight feet off the deck and damage was
less severe. "We were hauling the mail," said crewman Rick Deppe of
Annapolis, who was a crew member on another 60-footer, also called Chessie,
in the 1998 Whitbread 'Round the World Race. "We'd just finished a 400-mile
day and were neck and neck" with Zephyrus, which was favored to win."The
breeze was building. We'd just taken the spinnaker down. We were sailing
under mainsail alone in 35 knots of wind. The wind had the mainsail pinned
against the rigging when the mast just folded and went over the side. -
Angus Phillips, Washington Post
Full story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23116-2000Apr26.html
OLYMPICS
(Following is an excerpt from Herb McCormick story in Sunday's NY Times
about Olympians JJ Isler and Pease Glaser)
Even though Isler (36) and Glaser (38) are well shy of retirement age, in
Olympic terms they are certainly a seasoned duo. When it comes to the
United States sailing squad, however, they are hardly alone. The men's 470
skipper, Paul Foerster, is also 36, while his counterpart in the 49er
class, Charlie McKee, is 40.
And earlier this month, in trials off San Francisco, the 44-year-old Star
sailor Mark Reynolds and the Finn competitor Russ Silvestri, 38, also made
the team. "I met someone competing this week who said we're all so old we
should have our own day care," Isler said. "But actually, Mark's kids are
old enough to baby-sit."
Although Isler said jokingly that she hoped there was room in the sailing
team's budget for post-racing physical therapy and muscle relaxers, she
also knows she is part of a proven contingent. Reynolds and McKee have both
won Olympic gold, and Foerster is a former silver medalist. The European
dinghy sailor Courtenay Dey, 35, and the board sailor Mike Gephardt, 34,
have also won medals in previous Olympics. - Herb McCormick, NY Times
Complete story:
http://www.nytimes.com/library/sports/outdoors/043000out-boating.html
ANTIGUA SAILING WEEK
Although no press release or story will be posted for the first day of
Antigua Sailing until noon Antigua time, here are the race highlights:
- Winds were steady 15+ knots
- First Skirmish between Sagamore & Sayonara goes to latter.
- One yacht dismated
The results are online now: http://www.sailingweek.com/
THE CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM
How do you get off a non-stop flight?
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