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SCUTTLEBUTT 2067 - April 6, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.CONSTERNATION ENDED It became apparent that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was causing consternation for boating travelers, either confiscating the C02 cylinders for Inflatable PFD's at the security checkpoints, or confiscating them when bags were checked-through. This left the boater with an Inflatable PFD with only the manual option usable (blow it up by breath), voiding any automatic inflation at their travel destination. Many have found that replacement CO2 cylinders are not available. A request to the TSA found that the TSA had a policy in place that effectively banned the carriage of CO2 cylinders through security checkpoints or baggage screening. The TSA was advised that their policy was not in concert with the other branches of the Homeland Security Department, particularly the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and that boater's safety was at issue. It was pointed out that the FAA has already done their due diligence on the subject and it would be helpful if the TSA adopted the FAA wording. Within one week the TSA agreed, and put the change both on their website, and notified all TSA Security Officers who have informed the TSA Screeners. Additionally, the TSA advised that if a TSA Screener tells a boater carrying their Inflatable PFD that the CO2 cylinder can not pass the checkpoint, that the boater is to ask for a TSA Supervisor who will verify that the CO2 cylinders can pass through. Boaters are reminded that each airline determines if the CO2 cylinders are acceptable on their aircraft, or not, and boaters must make sure that the airline, and connecting airlines, allow them on board their flights. Here’s the precise TSA wording and links to two places where it can be found on their website: "Note: There is a compressed gas cylinder exception for both carry-on and checked baggage that allows 2 compressed gas cylinders fitted into a self-inflating life-jacket and 2 spare cartridges with the approval of the aircraft operator." http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1188.xml http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1190.xml A HIGH STAKES GAME It could just be that the Volvo Ocean Race leaders – movistar and perhaps Pirates – are on their way out of the glue plot and into the south easterly trades. They picked up speed about 2130GMT Wednesday and were approaching double figures in boat speed while the trailing pack were still in single. But is it the real deal or just a momentary respite from hours of frustration? ABN Amro One made a considerable come back at the last schedule and by using a ‘go west young man’ theory had got to within 20 nautical miles of the leader. At the latest position report, it appears that the bubble might have burst. ABN Amro One has lost six miles on movistar and two more on Pirates, but in reality are in touch for the sprint to the scoring gate. Given the black boat's efficacy in winds over about 12 knots, the two leaders must be wondering on what strategy will keep Mike Sanderson’s boat back where they want her once they really get into the trades. -- http://www.volvooceanrace.org Volvo Ocean Race Positions at 2200 GMT Wednesday 1. movistar, Bouwe Bekking, 4199 miles to finish 2. Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard, +13 miles 3. Team ABN Amro One, Mike Sanderson, +26 miles 4. Ericsson Racing Team, John Kostecki, +27 miles 5. Brasil 1, Torben Grael, +32 miles 6. Team ABN Amro Two, Sebastien Josse, +50 miles QUOTE / UNQUOTE Russian roulette is more like it than sailing. Large clouds dominate the scene and the wind is light and variable. When it is this light, and while you are making the best of what you have, you can't help thinking that the other guys have more wind than you do. You don't ever really know where they are heading and you only know where they are once every six hours. So making decision about where to position your boat is tough. You almost have to just play the wind you have without regard to the fleet which makes this a high stakes game. If a cloud give you a different wind for 3 hours and takes you off the best course, you would never know it until it was too late and you can get big splits quickly in these boats. -- Paul Cayard, Pirates of the Caribbean skipper Cuisine Brasilian style! In the quest to save weight, the modern offshore racer has been led to do various things, Shortening the handle on the tooth brush’s, allowing one book per crew member providing the cover has been removed, one pare of boxers which, if used correctly, can be worn 4 different ways, freeze dried food which, when combined with the rationing program such as Amer sports, X amount of days food minus 1 plus two days worth of rice and soup sachets equals starvation for a light leg! -- Andy Meiklejohn, Brasil 1 SPRING IS UPON US! New sails, rigging, a refinished bottom. It’s that time of the year again to start thinking about the improvements you can make to enhance your boat’s performance for the 2006 season. How about your instruments system? Imagine the advantages of upgrading your older Ockam system to current specs. Since backward/forward compatibility is a mainstay of Ockam’s design, it’s easy to do with Ockam’s trade-up program. We offer trade-in credit for your components towards new product. Ockam’s proven performance means your race winning decisions will be more reliable than ever! Cross the fleet, Contact Ockam for more information. mailto:lat@ockam.com MAJOR MONEY -- NEW FORMAT A $41,000 purse is up for grabs at the 42nd Congressional Cup, presented by Acura, April 11-15. Long Beach Yacht Club, with the support of some 300 volunteers from its membership, continues as the organizing host of the event, which remains at the top Grade 1 level of match racing competition according to the ISAF scale. The six-man crews will sail 10 Catalina 37s owned by the Long Beach Sailing Foundation, rotating boats daily. Competitors will sail a double round robin schedule Tuesday through Friday. The top four teams then advance to the best-of-three sailoff semifinals and finals on Saturday, and America's premier one-on-one nautical contest also will see some fleet racing for the first time. Instead of parking their boats on the final day, the six competitors who fail to reach the semifinals will run a fleet race for a $1,000 winner-take-all prize, using a windward-leeward course plus a parade leg along the beach. -- Rich Roberts, http://www.lbyc.org The skippers with their current ISAF world ranking: Ian Williams (Gr. Britain) 7 Mathieu Richard (France) 8 Staffan Lindberg (Finland) 13 Johnie Berntsson (Sweden) 18 Peter Wibroe (Denmark) 19 Gavin Brady (New Zealand) 21 Simon Minoprio (New Zealand) 32 Cameron Appleton (New Zealand) 60 Brian Angel (Redondo Beach) 64 Scott Dickson (Long Beach) 85 BACK IN THE ATLANTIC Dee Caffari is back in the Atlantic her attempt to become the first woman to sail solo and non-stop westwards round the world. Reportedly, her biggest disappointment over the achievement of yesterday was not having people to celebrate with onboard. There were no hugs and cheers, just her own hoops of delight and the big thank you she gave her boat Aviva. “Shortly I will be crossing my outgoing track and completing my own circle around the globe,” she explained. “I have nearly crossed all the longitudes of the world to return once again from where I started. Nearly all concepts of this voyage form a loop.” With less than 6000 miles still to go on this voyage that began on November 20, Caffari advanced 161 miles in the last 24 hours. -- http://www.avivachallenge.com CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar COUNT-BACK After a count-back necessitated by a three way round-robin tie, Sandy Hayes was declared the winner of the Rolex Women's Match hosted by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club (St. Petersburg, Fla.) from March 30-April 2 on Tampa Bay. Sailing with Hayes were Sandi Svoboda, Alexis Ackman and Phyllis Karlberg . Eight teams competed in Sonar class keelboats in the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Grade 3 match-racing regatta. "I didn't even realize we had won until the awards," said a surprised Sandy Hayes. "Since we had a three-way tie after all of the round robins, it basically came down to who beat who until one person was left standing. Hayes and second-place finisher Kathy Lindgren gained automatic invitations to the Rolex Osprey Cup, an ISAF Grade 1 match racing event scheduled for October. 3. Jo Ann Fisher took third place. -- Complete results: http://tinyurl.com/ptckm BARCELONA OLYMPIC SAILING WEEK Amanda Clark/ & Sarah Mergenthaler took the Silver Medal at the ISAF Grade 2 Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week in the 10-boat 470 Women’s Class -- beaten only by a single point by the Spanish team of Natalia Via-Dufresne &Laia Tutzó Moreno. The top two ranked US 470 Men's teams were also competed as part of their seven-week Olympic training tour. Mikee Anderson-Mitterling/ Dave Hughes and Stu McNay/ Graham Biehl finished fourth and ninth respectively in their 19-boat fleet. The teams are sending reports as they train and compete in Spain, France, and Austria, which are being posted on the Scuttlebutt website. Enjoy their observations: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/us470reports Event website: http://tinyurl.com/qo88a ULLMAN SAILS QUALITY INVESTMENT Why are Ullman Sails the "Fastest Sails on the Planet?” Ullman selects only premium sailcloth and marine hardware that the sail making industry can provide. Ullman Sails combines the latest proven sail design programs with proven construction technique that have an end result of simply the best sails available. Whether you race, cruise, or just enjoy day sailing, look for top quality sails that combine performance, durability, and service. There is only one clear choice: Ullman Sails. Call your nearest Ullman Sails loft or visit us at http://www.ullmansails.com NEWS BRIEFS * The maxi-foot trimaran Geronimo has just gone back into the water in San Diego, and on Friday it begins its journey to San Francisco. The big tri will not hang around the Bay City very long - it will leave almost immediately on an attempt to break the 1997 elapsed time record from San Francisco to Yokohama set by Steve Fosset in Lokota of 19 days and 15 hours. * The French K-Challenge America’s Cup team has found a title sponsor and has been re-born as 'Areva Challenge'. Areva is an international power company with over half of its 58 000 employees based in France. Areva Challenge will build one new boat, to be launched in November of 2006. The team moved its operations to the Port America's Cup on Wednesday morning with its freshly re-painted boat arriving under tow All 12 teams are now based in the Port America's Cup, with Emirates Team New Zealand, AAreva Challenge and China Team the only yet to sail from Valencia this spring. -- www.americascup.com * Ellen MacArthur and her crew of four on the 75-foot trimaran B&Q established their fourth record Wednesday morning on their current Asian record breaking circuit -- The Marco Polo Record (Dalian – Qingdao) 1day 2 minutes 53 seconds (265nm). The team did a total of 16 sail changes on a passage that had 39 knots of wind during the night which decreased to just five knots in the morning. -- http://www.asianrecordcircuit.com * Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team christened their brand new boat ITA-90 Wednesday morning in Valencia but unlike all other similar events so far in Port America's Cup, it was done "in family". Following the small christening ceremony the boat was immediately taken inside the team's shed in order to carry out the necessary work to make her sail. It is the intention of Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team to race with this new boat in the next Louis Vuitton Acts next month, but this will depend on the outcome of the tests. -- Valencia Sailing, http://valenciasailing.blogspot.com/ * “Compared to this time last year, we have more competitors registered," said Neil Forrester, the Rolex Antigua Sailing Week regatta chairman and general manager of the Antigua Hotel and Tourist Association. "Overall, there is a nice balance among Caribbean entries and those coming from the U.S., the U.K., Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Spain and France.” Due for its 39th running from Sunday, April 30, through Saturday, May 6, the international event spans five racing days, with an additional Bareboat Championship Race on a sixth day, and attracts an average of 200 yachts, over 1500 participants, 5000 spectators. -- http://www.sailingweek.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. You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. And please save your bashing, and personal attacks for elsewhere. For those that prefer a Forum, you can post your thoughts at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From George Bailey The reality is sports results are proportional to the amount of money spent on training, preparation, equipment, coaching staff, facilities etc, etc, and none more evident than in our sport" That depends on who you race against. If the money is pretty equal in the big venues (Volvo 60, for example), you cannot buy the race. If deep pockets enters a small pocket venue, then they can cherry pick. What would you do if that happened in you venue? Would you keep racing there or seek another venue? The gap between the deep pockets racers and small-change racing seems so big that it is hard to imagine why someone with deep pockets would slum with the poor guys, and it is obvious why the poor guys do not challenge deep pockets. * From Chris B. McKesson, PE: I have had a hybrid propulsion plant in my 1968 Columbia 36 since 1999. We have, with this plant, cruised from Puget Sound to San Diego. I have also been part of the design team for hybrid propulsion plants for commercial vessels for San Francisco and Pittsburgh. Hybrid propulsion for sailboats can be particularly attractive where non-propulsion electric loads are large (e.g. liveaboards like us.) In other cases a conventional diesel drive may be most attractive - both economically and environmentally. There are several commercial makers of hybrid drives, including Solomon and the German engineering giant Siemens. And then of course there is the very forward-looking HaveBlue project. (www.haveblue.com) * From Paul Zankel (re ‘Butt 2066): Aren't all auxiliary sailboats already "hybrid-powered"? * From Jim Taylor: I first got to know and appreciate Dale Shipporeit in San Diego with America3, where he worked quiet wonders. I reconnected with him at Mark Lindsay Boatbuilders and at Boston Boatworks, where his boatbuilding mastery, good humor and steady hard work were crucial in making happy owners for a number of my designs. I am reminded of Dale's wry observation that I "had a very sharp pencil" every time I am tempted to design more into a small space than even Dale could build. I was glad to be there to celebrate his retirement from boatbuilding a few years ago, when he finally shouldered his oar and moved inland. We have lost an extraordinary boatbuilder and friend. * From Matt Cohen (re Correction on the Molly Carapiet article): Not to take anything away from Molly- she's a tremendous sailor, an incredible competitor, and true sportsman (or sportswoman) on and off the water- but when she and Anna Tunnicliffe were name coed All-Americans in 2005, they marked the 11th and 12th female Coed All Americans since 1967, according to collegesailing.org. Kudos to both of these young ladies, as they continue to be great sailors and excellent competitors in both coed and female disciplines of the sport. I hope they both keep kicking my butt on the water, and inspire more girls to beat up on the Old Boys Club of Sailing. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Some folks would say a lot more if they didn't talk so much. Special thanks to Ockam Instruments and Ullman Sails. |
