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SCUTTLEBUTT 3026 - Wednesday, February 10, 2010Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors, providing a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.Scuttlebutt on Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Scuttlebutt on Facebook: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/facebook Today’s sponsors: Doyle Sails, Holmatro, and Newport Shipyard. HIGH TECH EYEWEAR One of the few people competing in the America’s Cup that isn’t wearing Kaenon Polarized eyewear is BMW Oracle Racing helmsman James Spithill, who today discussed his high tech sunglasses that house a futuristic fighter pilot-style heads-up display to supply the Sydneysider with vital wind and sail load information aboard Oracle's 90x90-foot trimaran USA-17. When the gigantic multihulls do finally race, Spithill will be wearing his glasses regardless of how dreary the skies over Valencia are. They are linked to a tiny laptop and battery-pack which he carries in a small back-pack while helming aloft the flying hulls of Oracle's trimaran. The technology is not new to America's Cup sailing but the gigantic boats being raced are, particularly Oracle's trimaran which produces a staggering 26,000 data points per second from 250 onboard sensors feeding information to a central database. The supply of real-time information allows Spithill to process his next move without having to divert his focus from USA 17’s 68m tall wingsail or the race-track ahead. "It provides a display for me and I can have numerous pages. I've got like a load page where I can see all the loads on the boat, rudder angle, anything basically that we're recording I can see," Spithill said. "For instance there's a start page and I can just ask Matteo [Oracle's Italian navigator Matteo Plazzi] to hook me into the start page, hook me into the load page, and see the wing [sail] targets etc and see what's happening in real time. The science behind the sunglasses was divulged when Spithill was asked by a European journalist what he carried in the back-pack. "It's not a parachute," he quipped in reference to the scary heights the Australian often finds himself in when USA-17 is powered up and flying one and often two of its three hulls. "The biggest push to do it was to save weight, take weight off the boat because now it's one small pack I've got as opposed to running cables throughout the boat and [bulky] displays etc." -- http://tinyurl.com/yaorcgv RACING POSTPONED ON WEDNESDAY On the strength of the weather forecasts for overnight Tuesday and early Wednesday the decision has been taken that there will be no warning signal for Race 1 prior to 1154hrs on Wednesday. Harold Bennett (NZL) Principal Race Officer explained: “We have issued an amendment that there will be no signal before midday tomorrow Wednesday). We will make a further assessment at 0830hrs in the morning. So we will have a look at what it is like early in the morning. We will take a check then. There are a lot of strong winds forecast overnight and offshore and that is going to throw up a swell. So it is more the sea-state that is going to be of concern. Until we see what the sea state is we are not going to guess. I don’t want to put the boats out there if they are not going to sail. I do not want to put them all the way out there and bring them back without a race. Talking with the weather guys from both teams they agree that this is what we are going to get, so it is a fairly easy decision to make.” * SCHEDULE: The Match is won by the yacht to first win two races. Race warning signal is normally at 10:00 am local time (CET), with race to start at 10:06 am (except for Wednesday; see above). Following the abandonment of racing on Monday (due to insufficient wind), the schedule will continue to attempt a race every other day (Wednesday the 10th, Friday the 12th, Sunday the 14th, etc.). * ONLINE VIEWING: The BMW Oracle team’s online live ‘Dock Out Show’ begins Wednesday at 8:25 am local time (CET), with the racing broadcast dependant on actual start time. Here are some of the North American online options: http://bit.ly/a0j9iY * COURSE: The first and third races will be a course twenty nautical miles to windward and return; the second race, an equilateral triangular race of thirty-nine nautical miles, the first side of which shall be a beat to windward. Golden Gate Yacht Club won a pre-event coin toss, and chose for a starboard end start entry for the first and third races. * EVENT WEBSITE: Look to the 33rd America’s Cup website for event documents, jury decisions, and other event details: http://33rd.americascup.com/en/ * TEAM UPDATES: Here are the best links for team information: - Alinghi: http://www.alinghi.com/en/ - BMW Oracle Racing: http://bmworacleracingblog.blogspot.com/ BIG AND SMALL, NEAR AND FAR This past weekend was a big weekend for Doyle. The 58 meter (190’) Kokomo had her sails fitted and trialed in Auckland Harbor. Kokomo hosts a complete inventory of Doyle Stratis membranes totaling 3,308 square meters (32,688 square feet), and easily boasts many records in sail construction and sizing world wide. At 2,250 square meters (24,200 square feet) the Gennaker is thought to be the largest sail ever constructed. On the other side of the world in a different size range, Doyle sails were 1, 2 in the San Diego Etchells regatta. To learn more, visit http://www.doylesails.com/news ONLY DRAMA FROM MONDAY America’s Cup journalist Bob Fisher reports for Sail-World on the only drama that occurred during the abandoned race on Monday: “Harold Bennett, the PRO, proved a good mediator before the first race when the handbags were drawn in battle. Golden Gate YC is entitled to have an observer aboard the Committee Vessel, and it had been agreed between Brad Butterworth and Russell Coutts that it could be Tom Ehman, who is a former international Judge and Umpire. “When Tom turned up at 0700 on Monday to board the boat he was met with resistance from Fred Meyer, the Vice-Commodore of the Societe Nautique de Geneve, who refused to let him on board. Harold, on the other hand agreed to Tom boarding and stood his ground. “Enter Lucien Masmejan, the SNG legal counsel, who said that if it had been agreed with Brad and Russell, it was all right by him. Meyer remained adamant that Tom should not go, but finally wiser heads prevailed and the handbags were put away. I understand that the same GGYC representative will be on the committee boat when it puts to sea on Wednesday.” -- http://www.sail-world.com/USA/Fishers-View:-Luncheon-Day-in-Valencia/66298 ONBOARD WEATHER TECHNOLOGY While the crew on both Alinghi 5 and USA will be well informed prior to the start on the weather and winds they should expect to find on the race course, the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) dictate that outside information from their meteorology teams must halt once the race begins. But the RRS and the Deed of Gift did not limit onboard weather equipment, and when the defender learned that their challenger had acquired the most advanced onboard laser wind sensing equipment available, their attempts to ban the equipment failed. Outfitted with a Racer’s Edge Laser Wind Sensor (LWS) from Virginia-based Catch the Wind, Inc., the American team will be able to take precise wind measurements at 400m, 700m and 1,000m ahead of USA, BMW Oracle Racing’s trimaran - all with the click of a button. Based on breakthrough developments in pulsed laser technology, Racer’s Edge LWS is the world’s first hand-held device that provides accurate wind speed and direction data. The unit, which has a comfortable neck strap and built-in tripod mounting holes, transmits wind data wirelessly to a portable display securely attached to the unit or worn on the user’s wrist. The data also instantly downloads to the boat’s onboard computer for rapid navigation and modeling. The device is accurate within plus or minus .5 knots, and plus or minus two degrees. Its accuracy is not affected by the speed of the vessel or the speed of the wind. In fact, the device has been tested in a full marine environment with salt spray, fog, high waves and strong winds - none of which affected its accuracy. The Racer’s Edge LWS is a natural evolution of the state-of-the-art laser wind sensing technology that is the cornerstone of Catch the Wind’s flagship product, the Vindicator LWS, deployed in the wind power industry to help wind turbines optimally align with the wind. -- http://catchthewindinc.com/racers-edge BACK WHEN A CIVIL RELATIONSHIP EXISTED By Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt There was a time when a civil relationship existed between the Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing team. One bookmark was the 2003 Moet Cup, when the two teams hosted a series on San Francisco Bay in their America’s Cup Class boats. As Scuttlebutt editor Tom Leweck noted at the time, “This was a truly breathtaking event. It was much more than just a regatta - it was a spectacular showcase for our sport. Frequently, more than 300 spectator boats swarmed on the San Francisco Bay to see it first hand, and what a view they got. Thousands more enthusiastically watched from bleachers erected next to the hosting Golden Gate Yacht Club, or from piers, docks or rocks as the 80-foot racing machines short-tacked the City Front in the flood tide conditions.” Chris Dickson, BMW Oracle skipper regarding the shoreline spectating, “We were sailing up the city front in one of the races today…and I think we may have scraped two or three people off the pier! There were some big eyes and some people taking steps back. I think we went about 10-feet from the pier and then Alinghi went about 10-inches from the pier. So my suggestion for people would be, if they're on the city front, be careful. They don't need to come to us, we're coming to them!” A similar event was hosted the following year in Newport, RI, and these became the forerunners for the popular Acts that preceded the 32nd America’s Cup in 2007 and the Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas now hosted by the newly launched World Sailing Teams Association. So, despite the exceedingly acrimonious period these two teams have endured, and the damage this had done to the event, these two teams have done some good in the past. Hopefully, once the 33rd Match is over, they can do it again. Moet Cup commentary: http://tinyurl.com/Scuttlebutt-Archives Moet Cup photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/10/0209/ NEW HOLMATRO WINCHES BIG HIT AT KEY WEST Holmatro winches attracted a lot of attention during their American debut at Key West Race Week. Under development for the past five years and tested by some of the world’s best sailors on the Extreme 40 catamarans these winches have many unique and innovative features. A matchless, forged Grip & Run drum that improves sheet control and winch efficiency, greaseless composite bearings requiring virtually no maintenance and superior but lightweight strength are just some of the reasons Holmatro feels their new winch will influence trends in winch design for years to come. Learn more at: http://tinyurl.com/New-Holmatro-winches FOR THE RECORD (Day 10 - February 9, 2010; 17:02 UTC) - Since crossing the Tropic of Capricorn at around 0700 UTC this Tuesday, Groupama 3 has been confronted with two differing options as a result of a cold front. Indeed Franck Cammas and his nine crew had to put in a gybe early this afternoon so as to shift across to the SW to avoid being caught up in the calm conditions. "This lunchtime we're on the SW edge of the Saint Helena High on flat seas in a warm, but not very consistent wind, pumping out around fifteen knots of breeze. We've managed to maintain our lead over the reference time, but we're going to lose a little ground over the coming days. Nonetheless, we hope to reach the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope with a deficit of less than half a day in relation to Orange 2" analysed crewman Frédéric Le Peutrec. Therefore it's already been established that the giant trimaran will see her lead drop away sharply on this ninth day. However, once she reaches the Roaring Forties, the wind will become more stable from the West and the crew will be able to link together distances of over 600 miles a day. This probably won't be sufficient to come back on Orange 2 though, as the Jules Verne Trophy holder amassed some very good days as they swept across the bottom of the Atlantic. -- Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/yktxg8f Current position as of February 9, 2010 (22:00:00 UTC): Ahead/behind record: +331.3 nm Speed (avg) over past 24 hours: 21.4 knots Distance over past 24 hours: 513.6 nm Data: http://cammas-groupama.geovoile.com/julesverne/positions.asp?lg=en Map: http://cammas-groupama.geovoile.com/julesverne/index.asp?lg=en * After their start on January 31, 2010, Franck Cammas and his nine crew on Groupama 3 must cross finish line off Ushant, France before March 23rd (06:14:57 UTC) to establish a new time for the Jules Verne Trophy for the fastest circumnavigation of the world by any type of yacht with no restrictions. Current record holder is Bruno Peyron and crew, who in 2005 sailed Orange 2 to a time of 50 days, 16 hours, and 20 minutes at an average of 17.89 knots. COAST GUARD TERMINATES LORAN-C SIGNAL The U.S. Coast Guard terminated broadcast of the North American Long Range Navigation-C signal at 3 p.m. last Monday with the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center in Alexandria, Va., coordinating the shutdown. The LORAN system began as a radio-based navigation system during World War II under a secret program to provide the Allied forces with a reliable and accurate means of navigation at sea in any weather. Receivers for aircraft were eventually developed and the LORAN system expanded to all aspects of the military. LORAN Stations were first established in the Atlantic in 1942 and then in the Pacific. The LORAN system was then used by the Army Air Forces in the bombing campaign against the Japanese homeland. The Coast Guard retained and expanded the LORAN system at the end of the war for merchant and military use. LORAN has, as a result of technological advancements in the last 20 years, become an antiquated system no longer required by the armed forces, the transportation sector or the nation’s security interests and is used only by a small percentage of the population. Continued use of limited resources to operate LORAN-C is no longer prudent use of taxpayer funds and is not allowed under the 2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. -- Read on: http://coastguardnews.com/coast-guard-terminates-loran-c-signal/2010/02/08/ SAILING SHORTS * There will be no shortage of top-tier competition at the 2010 Miami Grand Prix for Premiere Racing’s second South Florida event off beautiful South Beach March 4-7. The Melges 32 southern winter circuit concludes with the Miami Grand Prix, while the Farr 40 class will be using the event as their final tune-up before their April World Championship in the Dominican Republic’s Casa de Campo. A small but competitive fleet will compete in IRC, which recently amended the IRC lower limit now to 1.015. The entry deadline is February 19. -- Full report: http://www.premiere-racing.com/miami10/pages/MGP10_entries.htm * The fourth edition of the professional RC 44 Championship Tour will begin in Dubai on February 22 with the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy. The fleet will then be transported to central Europe for the Austria Cup (29 April - 4 May), the Copenhagen Cup (8 - 3 June) and a fourth venue to be confirmed soon. The Championship Tour will then move back to the Atlantic Ocean for the RC 44 Puerto Calero Islas Canarias Cup, which will also be the RC 44 World Championship (11 - 16 October), before the season showdown (7 - 12 December). -- Full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/10/0209a/ * Salthouse Marine, a long established Auckland-based boatbuilder, has gone into receivership with the loss of 50 jobs. A receiver was called in late last week resulting in the company being closed. However, at three other boatbuilding businesses that share the Salthouse name, it is very much "business as usual". Those companies are Salthouse Boatbuilders Ltd, Dean Salthouse Next Generation Boats and Salthouse Marine Brokers International. -- IBI Magazine, full report: http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20100109142931ibinews.html * SWEETHEART WARNING: For all the ‘buttheads that need to make plans for Valentine’s Day on February 14, this is your four day warning. * CORRECTION: If you were confused in Issue 3025 after clicking through for David Pedrick’s article about the finer points of the design and construction of each 33rd America’s Cup multihull, the link took you to page 2 of his report. Here is the correct link: http://tinyurl.com/yc3tz9h SAILOR'S QUIZ Three Good Reasons why the Volvo Ocean Race should make Newport a waypoint: Location, Location, Location! The America's Cup had it right. -- http://www.newportshipyard.com LETTERS AND FORUM Please email your comments to the Scuttlebutt editor (aka, ‘The Curmudgeon’). Published letters must include writer's name and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). One letter per subject, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- To submit a Letter: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- To post on the Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Ginny Jones, Foxfire Sailing: Thanks for bringing the story about flares to the attention of the public (in Scuttlebutt 3025). By the way, it would be a really valuable piece of advice to urge folks to test or examine all of their safety equipment on a periodic basis and certainly at least once each boating season. We've heard of life rafts which were "inspected" and then found to be missing vital equipment, sometimes even the raft, fire extinguishers which were new 15 years ago and are corroded to a mass of fuzz, safety harnesses with problems, batteries for various lights and Emergency position indicating devices which were old and out of date, maybe dead, flash lights which don't work, and on and on it goes. So many people seem to be concerned about getting the latest interfaced chart plotter (probably interfaced to their Blackberry) or go fast sail but slack off on safety items. Get the best safety equipment and know how to use it, have backups for navigational equipment, check your sails and running rigging as well as standing rigging for problems, get your life lines renewed periodically (particularly if they are enclosed in plastic tubing), get your engine serviced and maintained, go through safety drills, learn common sense seamanship, and on and on it goes. * From Robert Stewart: In Scuttlebutt 3025, there was an error in this story about BMW Oracle weatherman Chris Bedford where it says, “On the assets he has available to monitor the weather on the course, remember that a 20-mile beat basically means a course area of 400 square miles.” The beat is 20 miles and if the course is correct with tacking angles of 45 degrees the course area is 200 sq. miles. Treated as square on a point where the 20 miles is from corner to corner so the side is the square root of 20, or 14.14 miles, thus 14.14 miles times 14.14 miles equals 200 sq miles… and not 400 square miles. * From D. Randy West, St. Barth: Regarding the story in Scuttlebutt 3024, I sailed and won both classes in the light to no wind 2006 Centennial Bermuda Race competing in the Gibbs Light Big Boat Fleet and also have broken the Newport/ Bermuda record in a multihull. I can tell you that it is the Navigator's race...so listen to your navigator, make a plan and stick to the plan. It has always gotten us there first. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION However good or bad a situation is, it will change. Special thanks to Doyle Sails, Holmatro, and Newport Shipyard. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
