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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 1027 - March 14, 2002Scuttlebutt 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.
STERN SCOOP They got their answer today. It was "NO!" The Panel's decision stated, "Rule 19.9 (e) of the ACC Rules applies to the current Match, because the Notice of Challenge of the Challenger of Record proposed that the terms of the Protocol, which includes the ACC Rules including Rule 19.9 (e), should apply, and in accordance with the mutual consent provision in the Deed of Gift, the Challengers and the Defender have agreed that it should apply to the XXXI America's Cup." Not only that - the Arbitration Panel dinged Alinghi US$2,000 for the "costs of the Panel on the application."
THE BIG TIME All four athletes have starred on the global sporting stage over the past 12 months and could be among the nominations submitted by a Selection Panel of more than 1,000 sports journalists from 75 countries around the world. Briton MacArthur last year became the youngest competitor ever to finish the Vendée Globe yacht race and only the second person to go round-the-world solo in under 100 days. MacArthur also won the ISAF World Sailor of the Year in 2001. Nominees will be announced by members of the elite World Sports Academy including Boris Becker, Bobby Charlton, Sebastian Coe, Kapil Dev, Emerson Fittipaldi, Kip Keino, Edwin Moses, Nawal El Moutawakel, Robby Naish, Ilie Nastase, Morne du Plessis, Hugo Porta and Daley Thompson. Golfer Tiger Woods, another genuine contender for honours in 2002, won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award in 2000 and 2001 while athletes Marion Jones and Cathy Freeman won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award in 2000 and 2001 respectively. The eventual winners of the 2002 Laureus World Sports Awards, as voted upon by the World Sports Academy, will be unveiled during a television ceremony staged in the regal surrounds of Monaco's Grimaldi Forum, under the High Patronage of HSH Prince Albert of Monaco, on the night of May 14. - ISAF website, www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=2061 More news: www.laureus.com
SUSPENSION
WEST MARINE SAILING SEMINAR AND EXPO
BIG BUCKS
VOLVO OCEAN RACE News Corp is still managing to make gains on the front group (albeit slowly but surely), whilst the rest of the fleet continues to become more spread out with the girls on Amer Sports Too suffering the biggest losses once more. They are currently trying to hold onto seventh position and stay ahead of SEB in these variable and fickle wind conditions, whilst djuice is keeping the pressure on and closing the gap between themselves and Amer Sports One.
POSITIONS on March 14 @ 0410 GMT:
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON * From Doug Smith: When did it become ok to hit another boat and do just a circle? If I don't like you and ram you just because, do a circle that's ok? I think penalizing for collisions should be much harsher. Good thing illbruck was made of Kevlar or a good bit of the back end of the boat would be missing! How much do you think it's going to cost to fix the damage? $15,000? That's ok SEB - just do your circles! * From Andy Vare: What ever happened to the gentleman's philosophy where, when contact occurred between boats, the burden boat retired? I always felt that this was the natural limitation on competition, that you were never "too close" until you went over the line and touched, and then you had to accept the penalty. This notion allows for extremely close competition between proficient sailors, and also makes for a game of nerves, with the highest possible penalty on a negative outcome. By reducing the severity of the penalty, the natural incentives are removed and the "games" begin. Now, you get to hole a competitor, do a 720, and off you go? Tell me it isn't so. Besides, one would think that professional sailors on the Volvo are good enough to avoid each other?
OOPS (Those sentences were: "Still the supreme IACC sailors - Team NZ lead into the box in Auckland last month. But with numerous defections a lot is riding on Tom Schnackenburg's design team for the next Cup.") Do yourself a favor and read the portion of Hurst's editorial posted on the Seahorse website. However, to read the entire editorial, you'll have to do what the curmudgeon has done for decades - subscribe to Seahorse: seahorsemagazine.com/2002-Apr/editorial.php
SPONSORSHIP French-born (TAG Heuer president Jean-Christophe) Babin, 41, was in Auckland during the weekend to visit the Oracle Racing team. TAG Heuer has sponsored the team in a deal Babin - with the same passion he has for his watches - describes in the terms of a relationship. He calls the TAG Heuer brand "daring and passionate, and we wanted a team consistent with that image. We have a long-term commitment." Even if Oracle lost, TAG Heuer would remain enamoured, muses Babin. "I think in sport and in business, you accept you cannot win all the time. We have put in all the ingredients and theoretically we should win, but even if they lose we would still support them. This is not a piggyback or hijack - it's the right partnership." The relationship has cost TAG Heuer millions - how many, Babin wouldn't say, except that it was between US$1 million and US$10 million ($2.3 million to $23.3 million). That is peanuts for a company owned by luxury goods conglomerate LVMH (Louis Vuitton, Moet, Hennessy), which turned in a €722 million ($1.5 billion) profit for 2000. The luxury market suffered last year, partly because of the terrorist attacks in America, and the company's net profit dropped to €10 million. But Babin hopes the sponsorship deal will return $3 for every $1 spent. The 123-member Oracle crew will wear TAG Heuer Link Searacer watches and Sport Vision sunglasses, which went on sale early this year and will be available in New Zealand in June. - Full story: www.nzherald.co.nz/business/
NEW PERFORMANCE LAMINATES FOR GRAND PRIX RACE BOATS
QUOTES FROM THE BOATS * "Playing the water ballast is an integral part of getting through these shifty conditions, with the wind up and down, left and right, one tank or two, all in or all out can determine whether you win or lose in this squall hopping game." - Lisa McDonald, Amer Sports Too * "In a single four-hour watch, the wind can shift through 100 degrees and vary in strength from 6 to 20 knots as the cloud formations play havoc with the gradient wind." - Gordon Maquire, News Corp
NEWPORT BERMUDA RACE According to race participation chairman John Osmond, " There are a large number of new skippers and boats to the IMS C/R class. 83 of the 146 skippers who have to date requested application for entry (and paid $50 to begin the process) are new to the race. In addition, we have identified approximately 40 to 50 additional skippers who intend to participate in this year's event."- www.bermudarace.com
TROPHEE JULES VERNE The are currently 1,745.2 miles ahead of current record set by Sport Elec in 1977 but the decision they make on which route to take on their approach to Brazil could be a crucial one. They have two route options to tackle the St Helena high pressure zone on the approach to Brazil. Do they go left, the shortest route, and risk a decrease in wind or do they head right, the longer route, in hope of picking up more wind? One thing for sure, when they're through the high, on their way in to the Southern Ocean, lack of wind will not be a problem. - Sue Pelling, Yachting World , full story: www.yachting-world.com; campaign website: www.orange.fr COLLEGATE SAILING The Sailing World magazine website has just published the rankings of college sailing teams as determined by the magazine's panel made up of coaches Michael Callahan (Georgetown), Ken Legler (Tufts) and Mike Segerblom (USC).
COED (previous rank):
WOMEN (previous rank): AC TRIVIA: Baron Bich, famous for his white gloves, challenged four times but never even raced against the defender
WALT LITTLE Walt developed the documentation we know today as the Handicapper's Manual, including Table III. And subsequent Chief Handicappers have maintained "Walt's Baby", just as he would have expected. He was a Life Member of Seattle Yacht Club, and in his retirement, he usually ate one or more meals a day there. Most of the effort involved in the development of PHRF-NW and the continuation of its operations emanated from the SYC bar. While never a boat owner, he crewed on many winning boats throughout the years.
THE CURMUDGEON'S DEFINITIONS |
