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SCUTTLEBUTT 1443 - October 24, 2003Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt is adigest 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 and personal attacks for elsewhere. ORACLE BMW RACING SIGNS FARR Farr Yacht Design has confirmed its commitment to Oracle BMW Racing for the 2007 America's Cup, and will once again play an integral role in the Oracle BMW Racing design team. The Farr Yacht Design team will continue to build on its strong relationship with Oracle BMW Racing, forged in their successful affiliation in the 2003 America's Cup. Oracle BMW Racing CEO Chris Dickson says he and the team are looking forward to working with the Farr Yacht Design team once again, recognized as one of the best and most experienced groups of boat designers in the world. Dickson stated, "Larry Ellison, Oracle BMW Racing and I have had a long term great relationship with Farr Yacht Design and we are delighted that this will continue. Farr Yacht Design did a fantastic job for us last time with our America's Cup yachts USA71 and USA76, and we are all keen to continue to develop them to their fullest potential as we head towards the next America's Cup in 2007." * In 2003, USA71 and USA76 were acknowledged as being among the fastest boats in the Louis Vuitton Cup. Oracle BMW Racing raced in the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup against eventual America's Cup winners Alinghi, and recently defeated Alinghi in the Moet Cup in San Francisco. The continued working relationship between Oracle BMW Racing and Farr Yacht Design will be a major asset to the Oracle BMW Racing campaign. "Success in the America's Cup is dependant on continuous improvement," Dickson said. "It is imperative that we build on our knowledge and foundations from 2003 to lift to another level. We have a talented group of experienced sailors and designers to draw on and Farr Yacht Design is an example of this talent. They add considerable strength to the Oracle BMW Racing design team." - Autofan.com website, Full story: http://www.autofan.com/newsdetail.asp?id=746&mn=10&yr=2003 SIZE MATTERS The new 30m (98.4 Feet) long Brett Bakewell-White designed maxi, Zana, was launched in Wellington recently for a Kiwi owner, who wishes to remain unnamed. Brett Bakewell-White gives his perspective on this new project: As ever with designing monohulls of this size, the main problem is establishing which events the boat is going to do. This is made all the more difficult by the current situation with rating rules and no consensus on where these are headed in the near future. IMS is on the decline in most parts of the world and IRC has limited use outside the UK, Australia, and South East Asia. In this case the owner is not particularly interested in corrected time results and has a belief that the general community can only relate to who finishes first over the line, so this means that speed is the number one objective in this exercise. Other stated objectives from the owner were the desire to win the Rolex Sydney Hobart race, and a chance to break some of the coastal and offshore race records in the Pacific and then possibly on to Europe. The only one of these events that places any rating limits on the boat is the Rolex Sydney Hobart and an IRC 1.61 limit maxi is always going to be faster than an IMS maxi, so the decision was made. - This is just a tiny excerpt from a long and interesting story, photos and drawings on The Daily Sail website: http://www.thedailysail.com/ EXAMINING THE NEW FORMAT (Three-time Round the world veteran Steve Hayles - Dolphin and Youth, Silk Cut and Team Tyco - did a very candid interview with the Bang the Corner website. Here are two of excerpts where Hayles talks about the next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race on the new VO70s.) From a sailor's point of view, my own opinion is that the crew number change will make the biggest difference. There were points in the last race (the leg from NZ to Brazil - where we had a week almost of really bad ice) where it would have been extremely difficult to sail with any less than twelve. Monitoring the radar full time takes up people. The cold, wet and windy conditions really put a strain on everyone. With 25% less crew we would definitely have had to back off at times to keep things manageable. I hear the argument about sail handling hardware changes but the bottom line remains that the maximum crew number is often dictated by the most difficult manoeuvre. We might have roller furling sails and easy reefing systems but the chutes still need pulling down by hand and you still need to gybe in 40 knots. Techniques will, of course, be developed to solve these problems but I still think it will feel very different on board. Personally, I am not sure what to think about these new pit stops. You are right that there are a lot of legs but half the stopovers are only for a short period (probably 24-48 hours). In my own preparation this adds a huge amount of work as starts and finishes are a big deal but I would still tend to think of the course as a small number of legs with pit-stops rather than a lot of short legs. The overall balance of the course is still good and I am absolutely delighted that it's still fundamentally a race around the world, which largely follows the traditional route. There are huge pressures on an organization like the Volvo team that the rest of us don't really understand and therefore we don't always understand the reasoning behind some of their decisions; however I applaud them 100% for keeping the race true to its history. - Steve Hayles, Bang the Corner website, full story: http://www.bangthecorner.com/_wsn/page2.html MICRONET AWES BOAT DEALERS IN ANNAPOLIS The strongest response to Tacktick's new Micronet Wireless Instruments came from boat dealers, as they realized how much time and headache they could save! No wires to run up the mast or through the headliner; no connections to troubleshoot. Boat owners looked at the back of the displays searching for wires. Jaws dropped. Smiles appeared. No wire, no holes, no power supply, no delay, no decisions, no worries. Get in line for your system now - call 800-542-5463. For more information, visit http://www.layline.com SPONSORSHIP US Sailing has named Zodiac of North America (ZNA) as an official sponsor. The partnership gives Zodiac of North America official sponsor rights as the "Official Rigid Inflatable Supplier of US Sailing," a Presenting Sponsor of the organization's Safety At Sea program and the "Official Rigid Inflatable Supplier of the US Sailing Team." Under the terms of the agreement, US Sailing will work with the Recreational Division of ZNA to: - Develop a special US Sailing Support Boat designed specifically for use by US Sailing's member yacht clubs and sailing associations. Three or four configurations of a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) will be developed and offered at a special price to US Sailing members. - Develop a life raft program for US Sailing's membership. This program will include various communications to members about the importance of, and appropriate uses for various types of life rafts. ZNA will provide members with a special coupon offering a $50 discount off the purchase of a new Zodiac or Avon brand life raft, as well as an incentive to encourage proper service and inspection of life rafts. - Provide support boats for the US Sailing Teams for use in training and competition, including the 2004 Olympic Games. These boats will be similar to those developed for use by US Sailing member yacht clubs and sailing associations. - Implement ZNA sponsorship of US Sailing's annual National Sailing Programs Symposium, ZNA sponsorship of the "Safety At Sea" seminar program, and ZNA sponsorship of the "Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal" program. - www.ussailing.org BEN AINSLIE Ben Ainslie is taking a rare breather from his bid for a third Olympic medal, having won the Finn class world championships in Cadiz two weeks ago. "All I can say from my side is that I haven't made any decisions about what I'll be doing after the Games yet," said Ainslie. He harbours a desire to lead a British America's Cup bid, but has already spent a year with the Seattle-based OneWorld team in the last Cup to boost his experience. "Obviously, if GBR Challenge ever gets it together and someone puts some serious money behind it, that would be great, but perhaps joining another team is an option," admitted Ainslie. "Definitely the America's Cup remains a major objective. Whether I get involved in the next one remains unknown at this stage. Another Olympic campaign or the Volvo Ocean Race remain options. I'm seeing how things pan out, but the focus remains very much on next year." - Tim Jeffery, The Daily Telegraph, full story: http://tinyurl.com/s4y0 NEWS BRIEFS * The second day of racing for US Sailing's men's and women's championship at the Lake Norman YC saw 6 to 12 mph shifty winds. Six races have been completed for the women's Adams Cup competition, with the team of Joni Palmer, Meredith Dodd and Carrie Carpenter from Maryland holding a one point lead over Molly O'Brien from Hawaii. The men were able to complete seven races, with Zak Fanberg, Eugene Shmitt and Kippy Chamberlain from Louisiana opening an eight point lead over Keith Taboada for the Mallory Cup trophy. - http://www.lakenormanyachtclub.com/News/Default.asp * All prospective entrants to the 5-Oceans 2006/07 - the new Around Alone Race - will be able to benefit from a specialist workshop to assist them finding sponsors. The first Sponsorship Workshop will be held on Monday 27th October, in Le Harve, during the run up to the Transat Jacque Vabres. The Sponsorship Workshop aims to help increase the opportunities for potential 5 Oceans sailors to find sponsors. The workshop will be interactive in nature and everyone will be encouraged to participate. - http://www.aroundalone.com/ * Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. QUOTE / UNQUOTE - Bruno Peyron "Obviously it's a bit difficult to say what's going to happen in the future of The Race and The Race Tour. I think what will happen will be a legal decision. The partners we had secured for the long-term process have also been a bit shocked about what happened. We are sitting around the table together to see what we can do, from where we are coming after 15 years of work. It's a bit delicate and too early to decide what will happen, except that we are not leaving things like that. Just the fact that things like that can happen puts a lot of different questions on the table. One of them is, is it still the spirit of what we have been trying to create? In that case I would probably change my job. I'm not interested to promote this kind of spirit any more." - From a long and informative interview of The Race organizer, Bruno Peyron, by Elaine Bunting on the Yachting World website. We recommend that you read the whole story: http://www.yachting-world.com/yw/home.htm MEET THE PRESS The Wednesday evening press conference at the Bermuda Gold Cup yielded some very interesting information about the 2007 America's Cup … which we carried in'Butt 1442. There is undoubtedly more where that came from. If you have a question you'd like to ask Dean Barker, Russell Coutts, Chris Dickson, Peter Gilmour, Jes Gram-Hansen, Jesper Radich, Paula Lewin or Bill Hardesty - Shawn McBride at the Gold Cup has provided an avenue for Scuttlebutt readers to get the answers. Just send your queries to Shawn. He'll pick the most interesting ones and feed them to Peter Montgomery who's moderating the press conferences. Shawn promised to send me the answers for publication in Monday's 'Butt. His email address is: Shawn.Mcbride@octagon.com ABOUT TIME Find yourself late for the start struggling to navigate your watch and watch your compass? It's about time you check out Suunto's line of wrist-top computers. Data centers on your wrist, they all feature a digital compass, watch, and sailing timer. Have it all, in one place. GPS too? No problem. Whether it's the Regatta, Mariner, Yachtsman or the GPS enabled M9, Suunto's got one to fit your needs. Not to mention, they fit great in stockings too. Annapolis Performance Sailing reminds you it's just about that time. Delight your favorite sailor. Check them out at... http://www.apsltd.com/depts/dept3513.asp COMMENTARY Most New York Yacht Club members are resigned to the idea that they probably won't get another shot at the (America's) Cup after their three (recent) disappointments. The new Cup is so costly, with budgets pushing $80 million, that (former Commodore Charles) Dana and others in the club leadership are certain the membership would not financially support another challenge. "We couldn't raise that kind of money from sponsorship," he said. "We've had some meetings about [the next Cup], but we won't be in it the next time around. Maybe we'll be looking at the Cup after this one." - Tony Chamberlain, Boston Globe CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com) (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 Tim Dick: Personal commitment is the one area which the Shark attacks have seem to have missed. Shark is a 14 year old boy and while the fun of playing with rock stars and Dad can last for a few weeks, it doesn't win a World Championship. I was on dock duty at Kaneohe Bay YC at last year's Pacific Cup when Pegasus arrived with Shark & Dad at the wheel. He's done three. Weekly, I would watch Shark and Dad match race every Friday afternoon (and many other evenings) out of Waikiki YC, first in Melges 24s and then in 470s or 505 instead of participating in the Friday Night series. And whose was the only Melges 24 out sawing fast windward-leeward sausages during the Moet Cup while everyone else was out enjoying the big party? You got it: Shark Kahn. * From Lance Berc: I sailed the Melges 24 Worlds on a meticulously prepared boat with brand new sails and an experienced crew that was within 10 lbs of the class weight limit. Some of us had been practicing for two years for this regatta. Yet Shark just sailed away from us, some America's Cup skippers, a few world champions, some Olympians, and a couple guys named Melges. You can't buy that for any amount of money. Afterwards he and his team pulled their boats and Philippe hopped a ride up to the club, but Shark continued washing the boats, folding the sails, and getting the covers on for the trip back to Santa Cruz. Not until everything was tied off and hooked up did Shark and his crew get on the other boat for the awards ceremony. That's what you should do when your 14, even when the crew is hired and you're the new king. I've sailed against the Kahns in a number of local regattas and it's been a pleasure to have them in our fleet. I only hope that they maintain interest in this class and continue to keep our level of racing high. There's nothing my 74-year-old father likes more than when I beat him on the race course - except when he beats me. Shark and Philippe have many years of that pleasure ahead of them. Curmudgeon's Comment: Yes, I know that I closed the "Shark bought the Melges crown" thread a few days ago, but I feel the two letters above have a very differently theme. * From John Glynn: In response to Pam Leigh's letter of today regarding the Gold Cup: Better still Pam, why not call your travel agent and book a trip to the Dry Creek Vineyard Pro Am at the Bitter End Yacht Club (Virgin Gorda, BVI), where you can not only watch Russell Coutts, Ed Baird, and Peter Holmberg race, you can actually crew for them (where else can you do that). But if you prefer spectating, try the Mount Gay Rum punches and Pusser's Painkillers while following the racing around on a large spectator barge, or while lounging on the beach, or sitting by the pool! Curmudgeon's Comment: Normally a blatant ad like this would quickly wind up in the trash, but John's a friend … and what are friends for? And besides - it's a wonderful way to take a vacation. (I understand that 'Buttheads can still get a discount on BEYC accommodations.) CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends. |
