SCUTTLEBUTT No. 888 - August 27, 2001
Scuttlebutt is a digest of yacht racing news of major significance; commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American emphasis. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere.
MONEY
US Sailing has announced its intention to implement a strategic plan for
fundraising. The organization will take the initial step of hiring a
fund-raiser to head a campaign supporting the mission of the organization's
Olympic Sailing Committee. Additionally, US Sailing will solicit proposals
for a feasibility study on fund raising for the organization as a whole.
US Sailing recognizes the need to conduct a development feasibility study
to assess the opportunities for fundraising by the organization and invites
qualified individuals and firms to obtain the Request for Proposal (RFP)
for a Development Feasibility Study from Bill Placke:
WilliamPlacke@ussailing.org. Proposals shall be submitted by close of
business on Monday, September 10, 2001.
To train and develop athletes with the goal of competing in the Olympic or
Paralympic Games, the Olympic Sailing Committee currently spends
approximately $1.2 million per annum. By contrast, Great Britain spent an
average of $8 million per year leading up to the 2000 Olympic Games and won
five medals to the USA's four. Although the U.S.A. is the undisputed leader
in Olympic sailing, that position is increasingly jeopardized as better
funded foreign teams raise the bar. To apply to head the Fund-Raising
Campaign to benefit the Olympic Sailing Committee, interested individuals
should contact Olympic Director Jonathan Harley: olympics@ussailing.org, no
later than Monday, September 10, 2001. - Jan Harley
JUBILEE ART
If you're hungry for images from the America's Jubilee, Daniel Forster's
website is a stop you must make: www.yachtphoto.com/currentevents01.html
SMOKE ON THE WATER
Looking for a little more life out of your racing sails? The new range of
"Smoke" performance laminates from Contender Sailcloth incorporate a space
age UV absorber to help shield the high modulus aramid fibers from UV
damage. The distinctive gray tint adhesive provides up to 3 times better UV
protection than standard laminates. Combine that with high yarn counts in
the warp and fill and you've got a durable, low stretch fabric designed for
long term performance. Check out the Smoke laminates and our other fabrics
at www.contendersailcloth.com
EDS ATLANTIC CHALLENGE
It was a closely packed finish for a race that started in Boston -- the
first three boats crossed the line within one hour of one another.
Kingfisher won the leg, finishing at 15:50:10 GMT. Just half an hour behind
her Sill Plein Fruit slid in for a second-place finish. And in third came
ECOVER with a finish time of 16:17:00 GMT.
For hours before the finish all three boats bobbed around in light
conditions within a solid layer of fog. Visibility was so bad that
spectators were only able to see Sill the last second before she broke out
of the fog and crossed the line. Aboard Kingfisher the team said they
navigated to the line solely on instruments, GPS and radar.
Nursing a badly damaged mainsail, FILA crossed the line in fourth place at
22:23:05 GMT, more than five hours behind Kingfisher. Now only Gartmore and
AlphaGraphics remain at sea. - Stephen Pizzo & Susan Colby
For detailed coverage of each team's finish:
www.edsatlanticchallenge.com/en/
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON
leweck@earthlink.net
(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 Keith Mackeown: I forwarded Alice Leahey's letter about skin
cancer to a consultant histopathologist friend and this was his comment:
"Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are both invasive, in that they
invade deeper gradually, though squamous carcinoma commonly has a
pre-invasive state called squamous carcinoma in situ or Bowen's disease.
Basal cell carcinoma almost never spreads (which is what you are confusing
with invasion), or metastasises (i.e. go to lymph nodes or more distantly
to any other organ). Squamous cell carcinoma on sun-exposed sites spreads
to other areas in about 1% of cases. Malignant melanoma is cured by surgery
in about 50% or slightly more of cases and is almost always cured if caught
very early (when it's very thin).
BCC and SCC are definitely related to sunlight, and melanoma almost
definitely. It is thought that the first two relate to number of hours sun
in a lifetime, but melanoma is PROBABLY bad burn related."
* From Jeff Hooper (edited to our 250-word limit): I cruised in Thailand
and Indonesia back in the 70s and had a few close encounters with "part
time" pirates. (They don't all quit their day jobs.) However, no one ever
attempted to board us. One reason was that we maintained a 24-hour watch
ESPECIALLY while at anchor in remote areas. At night any boat approaching
us was met with the most powerful searchlight on board. That's right, I
violated the rules by shining a big sealed beam right in their eyes. They
would have a hard time determining how big we were or how many people were
on board, what arms, etc. but most important, the element of surprise was
gone. Many of the fishermen were content to remain fisherman if it was
obvious they were in for a fight.
All of the incidents I heard about were surprise attacks. Ships waiting for
dock space in Singapore were boarded by one or two guys at night. They
would come alongside in a small boat, throw a grapple up and make their way
to the bridge with a knife in their teeth and steal the payroll. A small
yacht is easy prey if no one is on watch. Maintaining a proper watch means
proper anchor watch in some places.
* From Chris Dutton: Thank you Roger Vaughan! And please Volvo, mandate a
generous minimum amount of food that must be carried in each leg... I, and
all the children of the world, should not be reading of sailors going
hungry do to light winds or broken boats.
And the hiking thing, besides some of the ridiculous positions some meats
put themselves in, it's illegal in the State of Florida to have legs
overboard... Hummm, wouldn't it be interesting to see the Marine Patrol hit
some regatta and write-up a couple of boats... Heck, just make it illegal
to risk the health and safety of crew and do away with these silly antics....
* From Malcolm McKeag: Roger Vaughan's plea for rules to make V60s
habitable etc is, I am afraid, wishing in the wind. It first invites the
question 'why bother?' If V60 sailors are prepared to put up with it, who
are we to wax indignant on their behalf? Dogs don't have a choice -
professional sailors do. And if the question can be answered sufficiently
satisfactorily to convince us all we do need rules to ensure that race
boats are genuinely habitable, there is only one rule that needs to be
written, and enforced: require the crew to live aboard the boat for the
duration of the event, including stop-overs.
I can well remember the late Bruce Banks and his crew sailing his Half
Tonner - a Scampi, I think - to the Half Ton Cup in La Rochelle, living
aboard throughout the event, and sailing home to England when it was over.
The Scampi, and boats of her generation, were the last properly habitable
race boats - true racer/ cruisers. After them came only shells, with
vestigal nods to whatever accommodation rules were the flavor of the day.
This was not, of course, a new trend. The International Rule once required
8 Metres and 12 Metres to have minimum headrooms, beds, loos and cookers:
the boats did - but only just. The V60s are but the latest in a
long-standing tradition.
If you want live aboard race boats, there is but one way to get them. Make
the racers live aboard them.
* From Craig Fletcher: A message to the people who expect comfort and
safety on a VO 60. The around the planet race is extreme, the Southern
Ocean is extreme and expectedly the people who race these boat are extreme.
If you want to win the X Games of our sport, do not show up with a Barka
Lounger, TV remote and a six pack. Extreme is that Extreme.
* From Jesse Falsone,: In response to Mike O'Sullivan's comments on illegal
kinetics at dinghy regattas, I would like to say that I share his
frustrations. There are certain dinghies which are very sensitive to
kinetics. This is certainly the case in the InterClub class which is used
extensively as a frostbite boat in the Northeast US.
My personal opinion is that a championship regatta should be held in
"championship conditions". That is to say that for these kinetically driven
boats, it's reasonable to stipulate a minimum average wind speed for big
events in the SI's. If the conditions do not meet that criterion before the
start (e.g. 4 knots average over a certain duration), or if the conditions
deteriorate during a given race, the RC should abandon.
Most classes do not include such minimum wind velocities in the SI's, and
most RC's are reluctant to blow off racing unless the time limit has
expired. Unfortunately, there are times in sailboat racing where the
conditions do not warrant the crowning of a champion, and it's best to
decide the "victor" on the volleyball court or at the bar.
* From P Dreyfuss: My suggestion to combat rampant light-air kinetics is
to impose a minimum windspeed for racing. Something around 5 knots maybe?
I'll guess this would best be imposed in the individual class rules. While
better patrolling of the racing and imposing penalties helps, I think
taking away the need to break the rules is better for racing.
* From CDR Eric Wallischeck (In response to Mike O'Sullivan's comments on
kinetics): Isn't it about time that we let our sailor athletes be athletic!
I don't think retraining judges or juries to police the current rule is the
answer. Instead, use class-specific rules and sailing instructions to
better control it. Besides, if someone competing at a "major dinghy
regatta" doesn't like ooching, rocking, and pumping, maybe a Laser isn't
the right boat for them.
* From Dallas Johnson: Placing NZL32 in a theme park would cause the boat
to be seen and appreciated by thousands of young people every day who might
want to someday grow up and race on a similar boat. It would also show that
sailboats are cool and part of the mainstream culture; which I suppose they
already are in NZ. Instead of hiding the boat in some maritime museum, I
suggest they place hydraulics under the boat and charge admission for a
simulated sailboat ride!
* From Eric Wynsma: Douglas Messer's letter states that there will be
'inequities in the system as long as PHRF committees rate sisterships
identically.' If we have two (very nearly) identical boats but rate them
differently, what could be more 'inequitable' than that?
At the Mumm 30 Worlds last year, a 20+ boat fleet weighed within 50 pounds
of each other after several years of sailing, which is a testament to the
fact that they were created quite equally. Having sailed several Mumm 30
regattas last year, I am convinced that assigning the same rating to all of
these boats would be fair in a PHRF environment. The process of trying to
demonstrate that one boat can go faster than the next is difficult and is
also the purpose for the whole exercise! The simplicity of not having to
clutter your mind with handicaps, expensive modifications and the resulting
political BS is a worthy experience and is overall a much fairer means of
racing ... despite inconsistencies between boats which I consider to be
very minor at most!
CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: Douglas Messer's letter in 'Butt 887 also generated a
flood of new letters about PHRF handicapping. Sorry, but it's waaaaaay too
early to reopen that thread again
VOLVO OCEAN RACE
Dan Dickison has done a very thorough analysis of the upcoming Volvo Ocean
Race of the SailNet website. He concludes his story with his personal odds
on the race - with the warning to view the following numbers with a
skeptical eye:
* Illbruck Challenge-two-plus years of prep time should give this team
the most advanced sail designs and the most fluid crew dynamics-5 to 1.
* Nautor Challenge Amer Sports One-Two words: Grant Dalton. Two more
words: Roger Nilson. They've got a late start, but perhaps the most
experience-7 to 1.
* Assa Abloy-Heiner and Rudiger have the collective talent to lead the
field, but if not, they're sure to be in the hunt (barring breakdowns)-8 to 1.
* SEB-Kranz narrowly missed placing second in the last go round. After
some initial snafus in this month's Fastnet Race, you know he's hungry for
redemption-8 to 1.
* Team News Corp-Fanstone and his crew have strong experience and good
chemistry, and veteran Ross Field will be on board for some legs-9 to 1.
* Team Tyco-If navigator Hayles can put the boat in the right spots,
skipper Shoebridge and his crew have the know-how to keep it at pace-9 to 1.
* djuice dragons-with one of two non-Farr designs in the race, skipper
Frostad and crew could be a dark horse, particularly on the shorter legs
with Erle Williams involved-10 to 1.
* Nautor Challenge Amer Sports Too-lack of prep time, relatively less
experience, and a Frers design puts Lisa MacDonald and her team at the
bottom of our list, but we hope they prove us wrong-15 to 1
To read Dickison's complete story on the SailNet website:
www.sailnet.com
WEEKEND WARRIORS
Previous ads for Ullman Sails have talked about the Olympic medals their
sails have won; the World and Continental Championship triumphs; big
regatta wins; and the impressive performance and durability Ullman Sails
demonstrated in the Around Alone Race. But the real beneficiaries of the
knowledge and know-how at the 24 Ullman lofts are the thousands of PHRF
sailors who never get the headlines, but use their Ullman Sails to
routinely collect regatta trophies - weekend after weekend. Find out how
affordable improved performance can be: www.ullmansails.com
ISAF TEAM RACING WORLDS
Team New Zealand successfully defended their ISAF Team Racing World title
here today on Lake Brno, in the Czech Republic. The crucial heat for them
was Heat 160 against overnight leaders USA2. The organisers had opted to
try for an 07:00 start to try to complete the Round Robin series giving
every team a heat against every other. NZL and USA2 were the leading two
teams going into Heat 160, and with the wind looking light again both teams
knew only too well the significance of this heat, given that the there
could well not be enough wind to complete any type of finals.
FINAL RESULTS:
1. NZL Derry Godbert, Karen Lambert, Josh Gailbraith, Andrew
Arden, Andrew Murdoch, Hamish Murdoch, Jeffery Clark.
2. USA 2 Timothy Fallon, Timothy Wadlow, Graeme Woodworth, Karen Renzulli, Erin Largay, Leigh Woodworth.
3. GBR 1 Stuart Hudson, Steve Tylecote, Dominic Johnston,
Amy Smith, Sally Cuthbert, Debs Kershaw
4. USA1
5. GBR2
6. IRL1
7. AUS2
8. NED6
9. CZE1
10. AUS1
www.yachting.cz/tr2001/
SEARS CUP
Metedeconk River Yacht Club, Final Results:
1. Area A Erik Johnson, Karl
Johnson, Bretton Gardner, Scott Thibault 27
2. Area D Sam Waller, Schaffer
Dane, Finley Ward, Olivia Kaigler 28
3. Area J Carson Reynolds, Ryan
Mulvania, Katie Hughes 40. - 66.34.75.97/
DAY SAILER NAs
Severn Sailing Association, Annapolis, MD, (39 boats): Final Results
1. Dave Keran/ Janette Zeman
2. Rob Bonney/ Mary Heimer
3. Curt Wagner/ Jonathon Foot.
home.att.net/~dwlong/BBYC/C420_ACCs/Results/ACCResults.htm
THE CURMUDGEON'S COUNSEL
Dwelling on 'what ifs' is a waste of time. Developing a contingency plan,
on the other hand, is prudence.
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