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SCUTTLEBUTT 1855 - June 8, 2005Scuttlebutt is a digest 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, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere. NEW SCORING SYSTEM The challengers and organizers of the 32nd America's Cup have finally reached an agreement on an scoring system that will see points earned in the Louis Vuitton Acts beginning in June 2005 count towards a 'bonus point' system for the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2007. This means point scoring for the 32nd America's Cup starts next week (June 16) with the Valencia Louis Vuitton Acts 4 & 5. Competitors will collect points based upon their finishing position in each of the remaining 10 Louis Vuitton Acts. These points will be used for two purposes. The points will yield an annual ranking, and for 2004, 2005, and 2006, this winner of this ranking will be crowned the Louis Vuitton ACC Champion. Team Alinghi, the Defender, is eligible for this. Secondly, these annual championship points will be used to rank the challengers. For this, the influence of Alinghi on the results will be removed. These results will then be multiplied by a weighting factor so that the events will be more heavily weighted as time goes by, with each year counting more than the previous. The total of these points, the Ranking Points, gives the Louis Vuitton Ranking. The challengers will be assigned bonus points based on this ranking that they carry with them into the first Round Robin of the Louis Vuitton Cup. In summary, the challengers who perform better over the next three years will earn more bonus points, but the gap won't be so big that a team who starts winning in 2007 isn't able to advance. "The concept of earning Ranking Points due to your results in the Acts is a big breakthrough for the America's Cup," said Tom Ehman, past Chairman of the Challenger Commission and a key figure in devising the system. "It means the Louis Vuitton Acts are real competitions in their own right, with significant rewards for good performance. At the same time, the bonus points awarded will not give a team an insurmountable lead entering the Louis Vuitton Cup. You will still need to win many races in 2007 if you hope to become the Challenger and earn the opportunity of relieving Alinghi of the America's Cup." Scoring sheets, point tables and diagrams accompany a full explanation of the scoring system and how competitors earn ranking points as they proceed towards the Louis Vuitton Cup. These can be downloaded from: www.americascup.com COMMENTARY After 14 months of deliberations and negotiations, the Valencia Plan for the format and scoring of the Challenger Selection Series for the Louis Vuitton Cup is being announced jointly by ACM and the CC in Valencia today. There have only been a handful of major changes to the game in the 154-year history of the America's Cup, and certainly the Valencia Plan is one of them. The first significant development came after the 1st Match in 1870, in which the Defending yacht club's fleet of yachts met and defeated the sole Challenger, the English yacht Cambria, in a fleet race. Thereafter the Deed of Gift was re-written to require the Defender to meet the Challenger with only one yacht, and we have had "match racing" ever since. The second came 100 years later, in 1970, when multiple challengers were accepted -- hence, the introduction of a "challenger selection series." In 1983 the CSS was formalized as an event in its own right when the Louis Vuitton Cup was awarded for the first time to the winning Challenger, and this has continued in the 20 years since. The third is the Valencia Plan in 2005. In a soundbite, it expands the America's Cup from three months to three years. Challengers actually begin racing for challenger selection points next Thursday 16 June -- the start of Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 4 -- and will continue to do so through early June of 2007 when the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup will be crowned. The LVC winner will meet the Defender, Alinghi, in the 32nd America's Cup Match beginning 23 June 2007. The Valencia Plan rationalizes, indeed legitimizes, the Louis Vuitton Acts. It brings Fleet Racing back into the Cup for the first time in 135 years. It promotes meaningful head-to-head racing between the Defender and all the Challengers for the next two years, not just the last two weeks of the America's Cup in 2007. Moreover, it is "on strategy" for the modern America's Cup, the vision for which has been provided by Ernesto Bertarelli and Larry Ellison, by: - furthering "friendly competition between foreign countries" (from the 1887 Deed of Gift); and - by providing a competitive sporting regatta for all Competitors, to realize the sporting and commercial potential of the America's Cup, and to encourage world-wide growth and interest in the America's Cup as the premier event in the sport of sailing..." (From the Protocol Governing the 32nd America's Cup.) - Tom Ehman, www.challengercommission.com MARION - BERMUDA RACE WEATHER ADVISORY! Combine weather and currents. Strategize early. Cutting edge technology will help you do the pre-race homework, increasing both safety and competitiveness. Bill Biewenga is bringing Commanders' Weather and OPC meteorologists together. Draw upon our skills developed over hundreds of thousands of offshore miles and decades of dealing with the weather. Learn about the trends and options in an online interactive weather seminar convenient to your schedule and specific to your race. Sessions will be archived for thorough preparation and review. Other races available. Be part of the June 12th online interactive event. http://www.weather4sailors.com REASONS TO SWITCH (The Daily Sail subscription website spoke with Steve Hayles about his move from BMW Oracle Racing to navigate Ericsson in the Volvo Ocean Race. Here's a brief excerpt.) The 2005-6 Volvo Ocean Race will be Hayles' fourth participation in offshore sailing's grand prix event, following his time at the chart table on Dolphin & Youth, Lawrie Smith's Silk Cut and last time round with Kevin Shoebridge on Tyco. So why is he going again? "Having not won it and to be honest one of the huge attraction is the new boats," says Hayles. "I don't think I would be so enthusiastic about paddling around there again in a Volvo 60. Not that they weren't good boats, but I have been sailing them for 12-13 years now and you feel like you have done your bit. I think the new boats will be quite spectacular." Aside from the boats one marked difference between this Volvo Ocean Race and the last is that there is no clear favorite. "I don't think anyone can be 100% sure that they have the edge here," continues Hayles. "I don't see an illbruck-style campaign up and running. So I think it will be a fascinating race. And another thing, it seems that within the design envelope that people aren't all in the same corner of the rule which will add lots of interest. Even if it turns out that a boat is in slightly the wrong area of the rule, they will be quick in certain conditions, so it will be interesting from that point of view. So you will have horses for courses and every boat will have its day. And then there is the all-round balance with the inshore racing, which will be quite interesting. - The Daily Sail website, www.thedailysail.com GETTING UP TO SPEED United Internet Team Germany's used America's Cup yacht GER-72 is now in Valencia, Spain, and the syndicate kicked off their sailing training on Monday. Skipper Jesper Bank has recruited 22 sailors with whom he plans to take part in the Louis Vuitton Acts 4 & 5 for the 32nd America's Cup. The first ever German challenge in the 154-year old history of the Cup is a mix of sailing professionals with Cup experience, many newcomers and well-known German sailors. Bank will build his team around a core crew consisting of his Danish "gold boys" Thomas Jacobsen (32) and Henrik Blakskjær (33), with whom he won the 2000 Olympics in the Soling and also sailed with in 2003 for the Swedish America's Cup project Victory Challenge. Their compatriot Michael Hestbek, a 49er ace, will also be part of the core team. - www.United-Internet-Team-Germany.de COLLIGATE TEAM RACING CHAMPS Austin, Texas - After three days of intense competition among sailors from 14 colleges, Hobart/William Smith Colleges (Geneva, N.Y.) has won the 2005 ICSA/Layline North American Team Race Championship. The Hobart/William Smith team held the lead entering Tuesday's final day of competition on a win-loss record of 9-3 with seven races remaining to determine the "final four" teams who would fight for the championship title. By noon Tuessday the Gold Fleet (the top-eight of the 14 teams) had completed their second round determining that Hobart/William Smith, Harvard University, Yale University and the University of Southern California (listed in order of their respective Gold Fleet win-loss record) would proceed. A double round-robin championship series was held. Handling the pressure with ease, Hobart/William Smith lost only one race while adding five wins for an impressive 13-4 record to claim the team race title for the first time in the school's history. Yale, USC and Harvard finished, respectively, with records of 10-7 each. Hobart/William Smith Sailing Coach Scott Ikle noted that graduating seniors John Storck and Lee Sackett, and sophomore Trevor Moore, who skippered with juniors Molly Lawson and Augusta Nadler, and sophomore Amanda Markee crewing deserved equal credit for the win. - www.collegesailing.org/nas/spring05 Updated photo gallery: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/icsa-tr TEAM OF ONE OR A CAST OF THOUSANDS Whether you're a one man wrecking crew, or a member of an elite syndicate working with dozens of team members, we have the gear that sets you apart from those who are still wearing last year's technology. The RSD Dryshirt™ and all new DryGuard™ are in a class by themselves. No other product provides better UV protection while keeping you comfortable on and off the water. From Olympic medalists to MaxZ-86 crews to yacht club junior programs, the Dryshirt™ and DryGuard™ is the 'must have' gear for 2005. Call 800-354-7245 or go to http://www.sailingproshop.com/dryshirt.htm for a dealer near you. OFFSHORE RACING After anchoring in foul tide just 4.8 miles from the finish line, Arthur Bugs Baer and William Hubbard III's 80-foot (24.4m) ketch Tempest reached the Solent Monday afternoon to take the handicap win in the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge's Performance Cruising class 2. Tempest crossed the line off the Needles Fairway Buoy at 13:27:00 to win by a comfortable margin. Aside from blowing up several of the older sails and having to replace the spinnaker halyard four times, the Tempest team also suffered a glancing blow with a whale. Next Monday, June 13, 2005, 16 yachts are scheduled to set off to race around the Isle of Wight on the historic America's Cup course in the Rolex Race Around the Isle of Wight, organized by the Royal Yacht Squadron in co-operation with the New York Yacht Club. The race is being run as part of the finish celebrations for the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge fleet, just as it was in 1997 for the Atlantic Challenge Cup presented by Rolex. - http://www.transatlanticchallenge.org NEWS BRIEFS * The biggest private yacht in the world arrived in Valencia Port yesterday ahead of the regattas for the Americas Cup. Belonging to Larry Ellison, the "Rising Sun" has an overall length of 138 metres (453 feet), was built at a cost of 160 million Euros. Mr. Ellison is the chairman of the syndicate representing the Challenger of Record for the Americas Cup: BMW Oracle Racing. - Valencia Life Network, www.valencialife.net. To take a peak at 'Rising Sun' - www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/le0607.jpg * With an eye toward helping luxury brands expand their audience, Stellar Marketing & Events, LLC has recently been formed to facilitate sponsorships through the development of highly targeted, strategic sports and entertainment events. Stellar will initially focus on water related sports-- fishing, sailing, luxury yachts and water skiing -- along with golf, auto sports and aviation, to help clients fully leverage those sporting events and sponsorships through advertising, public relations and promotions. Managing Director Bill Sandberg spent seven years at Rolex Watch U.S.A. where his guidance helped Rolex become the most-recognized brand associated with the sport of sailing. - www.stellarmarketinggroup.com * In the 2003 Transpac Yacht Race, the Challenged America program fielded a team with disabilities to successfully compete in the 2,225-plus nautical mile race from Los Angeles, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii. In support of Challenged America return for the 2005 biennial event, they are hosting a fundraising event that will include Peter and JJ Isler, Lowell North, Annie Gardner Nelson, Robbie Haines, Peter Harken, Jim Pugh, Rich Roberts, Bo Derek, Robin Williams, and others for an evening of auctions, raffles, and entertainment. 'Night With The Stars' is on Friday, June 10, 2005, in San Diego, CA. - www.challengedamerica.org * A 71-year-old Japanese yachtsman became the oldest person to successfully finish a solo, non-stop, around-the-world voyage when he arrived at a port in central Japan Monday, his supporters and news reports said. Minoru Saito docked his yacht, the Shutendoji II, in the port of Miura late Monday - 244 days after he left Japan for his seventh circumnavigation of the globe. Upon arriving, Saito joked with supporters, 'I've failed! I wasn't able to break 180 days. - http://tinyurl.com/a3n7p VANGUARD TEAM RIDERS AT THE 2005 YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS Vanguard Team Riders Adam Roberts, Nick Martin, Charlie Buckingham, Chase Ayres, Cy Thompson, Briana Provancna and Megan Magill will all be competing at the US Youth Championships later this month in Westport, CT. To follow their progress and to find out how to become a Team Rider, go to http://www.teamvanguard.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. This is not a chat room nor 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 Williams, US Multihull Championship Chair: Before Sid Shelter dropped the "ignorance" bomb on the volunteers that give up hours and hours (and hours) of their time chasing venues and organizing the US Sailing championships, I wish he'd taken a little time to express his concerns by writing any of the readily-available people that have their contact information listed for each event on the USSA website. We can't always put events anywhere we want. There are a lot of factors that go into the selection of venue and date that are behind the scenes and specific to each event, but the bottom line is that events go where they're wanted - every single adult and youth championship (including the one I volunteer for) is looking for a venue in the next year or two. Go to http://www.ussailing.org/Championships and take your pick. Give 'em the benefit of the doubt, Sid - despite your insult, I'd bet they'd still even take your suggestions or help. By the way, we held the US Multihull Championship at the same time as your referenced Laser NAs - we were about six or seven miles away at Roton Point. Tough conditions, no doubt. The RC, headed by Tom Farquhar, got 12 races in. * From Peter Huston (re. permanent bow numbers): If for whatever unusual reason the typically high standards of race management in Annapolis weren't met in one regatta, that doesn't seem to be a valid reason to have permanent bow numbers. And if the other criteria is a fleet of starting line white boats, one only needs to look at the two new boats in our fleet that are "finish line bright" - both gorgeous dark blue hulls, one with a gold stripe that would make any alumni of the University of Michigan very happy to see on a boat. Besides, numbers are substantially easier to call over early, and to be understood by competitors via a hail than are a series of letters, particularly in international competition where country codes are designated on sails. * From Angus Phillips: I assume that was a paid ad for BowNumberRegistry.com the other day, urging people to buy bow numbers that reflect their inner racer. If so, how did they get the name of their own founder wrong? He's Alden Bugly, not Alan, the name being the nom de plume of veteran Annapolis sailing gadfly John Potter, who chose it because it's "Bald and Ugly" spelled backwards, or inside-out, whatever. The English have a name for that, but I forget it. Is Bugly going corporate? Curmudgeon's Comment: No - it was not an ad - and I afraid it was the aging Curmudgeon's sloppy work habits that screwed up the spelling. * From Rodger Martin: Steve White & 'Airco' (his name, not mine) aka "Olympian Challenger" started the Farraday OSTAR from Plymouth to Newport on last Sunday 29th May. I think this is the boat's 20th Transat in 21 years. She has done about 280-300,000 miles in that time, including 3 BOC singlehanded races around the world, winning the 50 foot class the first time, and 3 round-trips from England to South Africa. Good sailors make a good boat! http://www.whiteoceanracing.com * From Damian Christie: I have to agree with Alexander Richards ('Butt 1853). Ben Lexcen should have been posthumously admitted to the America's Cup Hall of Fame years ago. It is amazing that two of the other architects of Australia II's 1983 Cup victory - John Bertrand and Alan Bond (especially someone as dubious as Bond) - have been admitted without hesitation to the Hall of Fame - yet Lexcen has not. Can it be that the NYYC members of the Hall of Fame selection panel still refuse to believe over 20 years later that Lexcen could have designed Australia II on his own? Lexcen's legacy is still being felt in America's Cup circles today - Australia II almost transformed the Cup overnight from an insular, parochial backwater sport into a truly global event. It's time the Hall of Fame granted Lexcen the long overdue recognition he deserves. * From Chris Ericksen: Sad to say, there was a wonderful "Sail Racing Organization, Management and Scoring Program" as asked about in 'Butts 1851 and 1853) that Alamitos Bay Yacht Club and several other Southern California clubs used in the late Eighties and early Nineties. Developed by Olympic gold medallist Allison Jolly and her then-husband Mark Jolly, it handled one-design and handicap scoring with plenty of options for scoring systems, discards and so on. It allowed preselection of a trophy table and recording of perpetual trophies so that presentation and press reports could be generated as well as printable results. Most powerfully, however, the program featured an integrated database of sailors and their boats; this not only allowed the copying of archived data (addresses, yacht-club affiliations, sail numbers and so on) at entry time but also generation of class-specifi c mailing labels. ABYC managed a very successful program on it for years. Sadly, it was developed in the pre-Windows era, did not have recognizable Windows dialog boxes and controls or produce Web-friendly reports now available with most modern scoring programs. In the end, Mark and Allison gave up trying to promote this incredibly powerful regatta-management tool: there was no market for it in those days. And even if someone were to develop a modern, Windows-based regatta-management program, they'd go broke: while any yacht club would benefit hugely from such a tool, none would want to pay for it. Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die. * From Morris Hancock: Re: Senator Santorum's bill S-786. I certainly hope that, in addition to writing Senator Nelson, that we are writing to, and calling all our senators in response to this apparent theft of taxpayer-supported services, and the very real threat to our safety it implies. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS Assuming good judgment is earned through bad experience, the experts we respect now were the idiots we laughed at yesterday. |
