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SCUTTLEBUTT #265 - January 26, 1999AMERICA'S CUP -- Report from Paul Cayard, AmericaOne Syndicate AmericaOne's first America's Cup yacht has been issued number USA 49 by Ken McAlpine, Technical Director of the International America's Cup Class. USA 49 was also the number of our first 12-meter in the 1987 America's Cup Challenge on behalf of the St. Francis Yacht Club.I often think back to that challenge and the competitive spirit of my friend and skipper Tom Blackaller and his refusal to bow to overwhelming hurdles in his path. Further back, those who came to California to participate in the Gold Rush of 1849 faced many challenges and personal sacrifices. They were called the 49er's. The tradition of that spirit, which is at the core of the founding of the state of California, is carried into battle every year by the San Francisco football team of the same name. Tom Blackaller and I were both born and raised in San Francisco. Our sailing talents are products of the waters of entire Bay and those against whom we sailed. We each represented San Francisco all over the world for over 30 years at the top of our sport, each at our own time. As in 1987 for Tom, AmericaOne is for me, my chance to put on my best performance for my hometown. Needless to say, I am motivated. It is fitting that our boat be numbered USA 49. - Paul Cayard AmericaOne website: http://www.ac2000.org/ MEDIA BLITZ The 2001-2002 Volvo Round The World Ocean Race will be surrounded by a four-year communication and media plan that will promote sailing in general and the Volvo Ocean Race in particular. The extensive implementation plan includes: - In partnership with Eurosport, Volvo Event Management will produce an annual sailing magazine series covering all aspects of the sport, from grand prix ocean Racing, to sailboards and including features on training, boat building, and youth sailing. The series will start this coming May, and will continue up to the next Volvo Ocean Race. - Development of partnerships with broadcasters in the major markets for the scheduling of highlights television, with production and programming coordinated by Volvo Event Management's own executive producer to ensure quality and consistency. - The Volvo Event Management video library is currently being established and it will carry an enormous range of past and current pictures of ocean sailing. It is no ordinary archive, it is a pro-active resource available not just for skippers, syndicates, sponsors, but for TV programme producers, news editors, journalists and writers. - The development at Volvo Ocean Race Headquarters of an operations room with TV, radio and web site production facilities to produce news material of the Volvo Ocean Race 24 hours a day, giving news coverage a higher profile with a proactive distribution strategy. - Continue the stunning success of the Web site in the previous race, with the launch of www.VolvoOceanRace.org as a "low key" site which will build in complexity, functionality and content until it becomes fully operational in the summer of 2001. - Radio is seen as an under valued communication resource and linked to the internet will become a significant contributor for the next race. Co-ordinated from the Race HQ radio station, interviews will be arranged for radio stations and news will be distributed through traditional channels and published on the website. - During the pre-race programme and the event itself, Volvo Event Management will be actively promoting the Volvo Ocean Race throughout the world in the print media. The substantial press facilities and resources available throughout the Volvo Group will be harnessed to the full. Newspapers and news agencies worldwide will be provided with news stories on a regular basis supported by the very best still images. - A concerted effort will be made to target the international lifestyle and business magazine sector with fully illustrated features. This will be viewed as part of the major drive to extend the awareness of The Volvo Ocean Race to a broader public and not just a sporting audience. We will be publishing our own magazine with the first issue available in July this year. This will carry news and features about the race, it's sponsors and it's syndicates and twelve issues will be published in total. - The power of stills photography is very often underestimated but we consider it to be a very important part of our media mix. With this in mind, we will appoint a photographic partner that not only will be able to provide the most dynamic pictures, but an agency that can distribute the images worldwide on a proactive basis to newspapers and magazines. An online archive will give picture editors the opportunity of browsing through our images and making their own personal selections. The entire photographic input will be carefully managed by Volvo Event Management to ensure the images are of the very best quality and that proactive distribution is immediate. - It will be a mandatory requirement for each boat to carry a sophisticated package of equipment to collect and transmit ashore media data, boat performance information and environmental data. - It is intended to create an educational programme around the race that is centred on an marine environmental survey carried out by equipment onboard the boats and by schools taking part, using the internet as the means of distributing information and co-ordinating the programme. The scope of the programme will be developed in 1999 in conjunction with educational specialists and a number of renown universities oceanographic departments. - During the years preceding the Volvo Ocean Race 2001-2002, the Volvo Ocean 60s will be encourage to participate of in selected events, such as the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Fastnet Race, by insuring that there will be media coverage of the class. In addition, after 2002, Volvo Event Management may organise trans-ocean races to ensure a four year program for Volvo Ocean 60s that visits other countries than those involved with the Volvo Ocean Race, Round The World. - The promotion of youth sailing through sponsorship and the media coverage of the major youth events such as ISAF Youth World Championships. The objective is to elevate the stature of the events, giving young sailors goals to aspire to and create an environment which will aid the development of skills and provide a training ground for crews of future Volvo Ocean Races. - The promotion of The Volvo Ocean Race at locations and events outside the normal sailing environment such as International Motor Shows. -- Lizzie Green EXCESSIVE? It takes 40 minutes to hand seal every Douglas Gill Ocean GORE TEX jacket. Excessive? Not if you want to insure the performance that experienced sailors have come to expect from Gill. That's' why every single stitch is guided by a human hand and every seam is hand sealed. Gill systems keep you dry, keep you warm and are worth the price. Check out Gill's entire line of sailing apparel: http://www.douglasgill.com WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP The ISAF website reported that there are eight bids submitted or pending for the 2003 ISAF Combined Olympic Class World Championships. The bids are from: Warnemunder Segel-Club, Warnemunder, Germany; Lubecker Yacht-Club e V, Lubeck, Germany; Kieler Yacht Club, Kiel, Germany; Danish Sailing Association, Broendby, Denmark - application for Aarhus; Real Club Nautico Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Dubai International Marine Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Federacion Balear de Vela, Palma, Spain; and Real Federacion Espanola de Vela, Madrid, Spain - application for Bay of Cadiz. ISAF Website: http://www.sailing.org/ LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON We read all of your letters, but simply can't publish them all. Those that we do publish are routinely edited for clarity, space (250 words max) or to exclude personal attacks. -- From John Wright, US SAILING Offshore Director -- The US SAILING Offshore Office wishes to confirm to your readers of "Scuttlebutt" that it is our desire to provide the best possible service to the offshore sailor, especially with regard to our special areas of administrative responsibility; yacht handicapping and safety-at-sea. We communicate with our constituents in many ways; by phone, mail, fax, e-mail, our US SAILING member magazine AMERICAN SAILOR, and the Offshore Office "Newsletter" sent directly to owners of IMS yachts. We send measurement bulletins to IMS and US SAILING Certified Sail Measurers. We offer several publications with information relevant to offshore sailing, particularly with regard to IMS and PHRF handicapping as well as offshore safety. We respond to many questions and concerns daily - that is an important part of what we do. For those who wish to contact us, we may be reached by phone (401 683-0800), by fax (401 683-0800), and by e-mail (USSAILING@compuserve.com). For anyone who wishes to contact me directly, my phone extension is 664 and my e-mail address is 103147.3006@compuserve.com. I would be glad discuss whatever issues are presented and forward them to the appropriate US SAILING committee for further action, if desired. --From Peter Huston -- US SAILING should not be concerned about the cost of web site development. In fact, US SAILING shouldn't pay one nickle for the cost of building or maintaining the web site. Rather, it is but one element of the vastly under-utilized "inventory" that US SAILING has to sell to a sponsor/advertiser. Rather, US SAILING should have someone pay them for the honor of administering a first class web site that is both informative and communicative. Getting Scuttlebutt each morning is an invaluable service. It is the same as having the Wall Street Journal delivered to my office each morning - if I had to go to a newsstand to get that publication, I wouldn't read it. Same with a web page - I'm not going to take the time log on every morning - I prefer my information delivered to me every day. US SAILING has never been particularly adept at communicating with it's members, and "awful" in the way in which they communicate with non-members. So, no matter what technology they employ, they still need a fundamental ability to communicate with people. Communicate, not dictate. -- From Craig Fletcher-- Frank Whitton is 100% correct on the communication or lack there of in US SAILING. I offer the following example. John Wrights column in the Feb. issue of the American Sailor is devoted to IMS non spinnaker. Why? Are there not bigger problems than this? I had the privilege to race the NYYC cruise last summer in the non spinnaker class. On the first run we flew two headsails wing and wing. We were protest by a very important member of US SAILING and the NYYC. He lost the protest and was very upset. He now complains to the IMS technical committee ( Allan Andrews is on the committee and told me the issue came from the cruise) the rule is changed and we move on. This is a textbook example of "THE OLD BOY NETWORK" at work. No discussion outside of the committee, no input from the owners, just one very interested party who want a change. Never mind the VPP's do not work or IMS numbers are on the decline lets waste time on a meaningless issue generated by a single owner. USS reminds me of the weatherman who reported it sunny without looking outside to see it raining, can they not see IMS is going the way of IOR. If USS does not start asking what the sailors want it will be the next IOR. -- From John Collins -- I don't think that Frank Whitton is questioning the correct office/person in his quest for knowledge about IMS. I think he should be discussing this with the IMS Committee Chairman. The Offshore Director works by direction. He should not be asked leading questions about the politics of the IMS rule. --From Jesse Falsone -- After reading Gary Jobson's latest 'Sailing World' article ("Can the American's Win Back the Cup?", Feb 1999), I am still at odds with the premise of the event as a "friendly competition between foreign nations". With so many competitors not sailing with their native country, can the America's Cup still be billed as such? I wonder if its really a matter of national pride anymore. If the US should win, will all those Kiwis on American teams wave the Stars and Stripes down New York's Canyon of Heroes? ALOHA Next stop on the Transpac YC's promotional tour is a Hawaiian Buffet Dinner at Marina del Rey's California Yacht Club on Thursday, January 28. Vintage films and video of this classic's colorful history will be followed by speakers Dave Ullman, Brad Avery, John Jourdane, Roy and Roy Pat Disney. Father and son Disney will have pictures of their new R/P 74 finishing completion and their strategy aimed at breaking the current records held by the SC70 TurboSled, PYEWACKET. Call 310/823-4567 for reservations. $20 includes dinner, taxes, gratuity and parking. No host bar - 6:00 PM, films - 6:30 PM, dinner and program - 7:00 PM. - Frank Gleberman Transpac '99 website: http://www.transpacificyc.org/ SAIL THE SOUTHERN OCEAN During the Auckland stopover of the Around Alone Race, the quokka.aroundalone.com Virtual Race shore-crew has been working tirelessly to make needed game repairs and to prepare this perilous leg for participants. Here's your chance to test your sailing skills against the Southern Ocean. You'll make crucial decisions about food provisioning, sleeping versus sailing time, boat design, and plot your course with the same whether information the skippers receive. Challenge a few friends and race to Punta del Este, a scant 5,960 miles from Auckland. Registration for Leg 3 of the Virtual Race will only be open until 4 February at 18:00 GMT. Register at: http://quokka.aroundalone.com:3081/virtualrace/index/set_virtualrace.fasp And be sure your desktop is been battened down, it's going to be a wild ride around Cape Horn. OOPS In listing the West Coast 'overachievers' at KWRW we inadvertently left off the Ely family's San Diego-based SC 52 Elyxir that took 4th in the PHRF I class, despite having to sail through the Farr 40 fleet in every race. SPEED RECORDS Crowds of over hundred people waved goodbye to Hans Bouscholte and Gerard Navarin as they set off for the transatlantic crossing from Dakar to Guadeloupe. Hopefully on their way to the world record: crossing the Atlantic Ocean in less than 18 days and 22 hours ... in an open 19 foot catamaran, without assistance. The red 19 FOOT NACRA was launched into almost perfect conditions. A twenty knot northeasterly wind took the pair towards the starting line, just off the Island of Goree (the former slave island off the African coast). The official start time of 12.34 GMT was recorded by Commandant De Baelman, commander of the French troops in Senegal, and will be ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council. If all goes well, the team hopes to break the world record set in 1986 by Frenchman Daniel Pradel and Australian Tony Laurent, by anything up to three days. Circumstances permitting, Bouscholte will have contact with the press centre in Holland via the satellite telephone once a day. The latest news, updates and their position will be posted daily on the: website: http://www.bouscholte.com THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said.
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