|
SCUTTLEBUTT No. 604 - July 10, 2000MATCH RACINGTeam New Zealand America's Cup skipper Dean Barker, climbed to a fresh peak of mental tenacity, when he won the Swedish Match Cup in Marstrand on Sunday. The young Kiwi came from down 0-2 in the best of five race final, and from four boats lengths back in the fifth and deciding race to take the trophy. He also moves to within one point of the defeated finalist, Frenchman Bertrand Pace, on the Swedish Match Tour scoreboard, with five of the eight events completed. These two teams have now worked out a safety margin of over thirty points from Peter Gilmour and his Pizza-La team, while another Frenchman Luc Pillot is in fourth place. An elated Barker paid tribute to Pace, another America's Cup skipper, "it's been a really tough, long day for us, I feel sorry for Bertrand and his crew, they've sailed very well all week, and sailed well today also. In regattas like this, a little bit of luck can make a big difference in the end, and I think today luck was on our side." It was a light and fickle day on Marstrand Harbour, and in the end it was the New Zealander's ability to read the wind that pulled him through. The sixth event on the Swedish Match Tour starts in Ravenna, Italy on 11th July. - John Roberson MEN'S FINAL RESULTS: 1. Dean Barker (New Zealand); 2. Bertrand Pace (France); 3. Sten Mohr (Denmark); 4. Magnus Holmberg (Sweden); 5. Jesper Bank (Denmark); 6. Peter Gilmour (Australia); 7. Luc Pillot (France); 8. James Spithill (Australia); 9. Hans Wallen (Sweden); 10. Andy Beadsworth (Britain); 11. Jes Gram-Hansen (Denmark); 12. Martin Angsell (Sweden); OVERALL Swedish Match Tour points after five events: 1. Bertrand Pace (France) 94 pts; 2. Dean Barker (New Zealand) 93; 3. Peter Gilmour (Australia) 61; 4. Luc Pillot (France) 40; 5. Sten Mohr (Denmark) 30; 6. Magnus Holmberg (Sweden) 22; 7. Cameron Appleton (New Zealand) 20; 8. Andy Green (Britain) 18. WOMEN: Dorte o Jensen from Denmark isn't number one in the world for nothing. In very unstable conditions, where the wind shifted all the time both in strength and direction, she never gave Betsy Alison a chance. "We had one of those days when everything is just right - boat speed, crew work, tactics, yes everything," Dorte O Jensen said beaming, after she had received standing ovations from tens of thousands of spectators on the rocks in the southern inlet to Marstrand as she sailed passed them after her last and winning match. - Joakim Hermansson FINAL STANDINGS in the Swedish Match Women's Trophy: 1 Dorte O Jensen, Denmark; 2 Betsy Alison, USA; 3 Malin Kallstrom, Sweden; 4 Marie Bjorling, Sweden; 5 Marie Klok, Denmark; 6 Klaartje Zuiderbaan, The Netherlands; 7 Dawn Riley, USA; 8 Katie Spithill, Australia. Website: http://www.swedishmatchcup.com PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS VIC-MAUI RACE Bruised and battered, Dan Sinclair's RENEGADE from RVYC has finished in Lahaina - breaking PYEWACKET's old record by over an hour. She crossed the line with tattered sails, the remains of her last spinnaker hanging from the mast-tip. She had to sail to her mooring because she had motor problems. Dan acknowledged "there was carnage". At one time they were going so fast the paint peeled off the boat. They blew out their mainsail, their asymmetrical spinnaker, three other spinnakers, and parted several halyards. One of these flew up when it broke, and took the wind instruments off the top of the mast. Their top speed was 25.5 knots, but they were over 20 knots so many times "you couldn't count them". This gives you some idea of what it's like to crew boats like GRAND ILLUSION and RENEGADE. While conditions may have been ideal for record-setting this year, the boats nevertheless had to be pushed hard for PYEWACKET's record to fall. RENEGADE's story is a graphic example of just how narrow the margins are at the front end of the fleet. MIDNIGHT SPECIAL (Steve Crary's Santa Cruz 50 hailing from Seattle) crossed the line early Sunday morning at 0522HST. SHOW ME, Lester Fike's beautiful Swan 65 hailing from Missouri is expected in later today (around 1840). All Class A boats will then have finished. FARR-ARI, PURSUIT, ORIOLE, JOIA and NIGHT RUNNER are all predicted to come in between 0031 and 1540 Monday (and in that order). And seven more boats are expected July 11. On the water however, conditions are a bit more stable. 15-18 knot tradewinds are bringing the fleet in, and all boats are sailing the rhumb line for Lahaina. The Class B boats put in similar mileages today (185-193) and averaged around 8 knots. Class C were not far behind. By now though, the crews are weary. They have been flying spinnakers continuously and planing on 10 ft waves for days on end. Hydration is especially important, because it is very warm out there. PRAIRIE VOYAGER continues her impressive "rudderless" run. Today she notched another 120 miles with her spare rudder. This is no mean feat considering she is steering in these big Pacific swells. Web Site: http://www.www.vicmaui.org INDUSTRY NEWS Sailing World magazine, and Quokka Sports, Inc have formed an alliance to share editorial content. Beginning immediately Sailing World's website, and Quokka network's specialized sailing section, will feature co-branded content that delivers the breadth of Sailing World's international reporting and the depth of Quokka's coverage of premier events to readers of both sites. http://sailing.quokka.com & http://www.sailingworld.com HI TECH Gill have been the market leaders in boating boots for many years. Whilst performance marine clothing has developed in leaps and bounds over the years: boots had not until now! During the past two years Gill has worked closely with WL Gore to develop a completely new and revolutionary marine boot. Style 910 Features include: waterproof, breathable, and light weight. Cordura and Kevlar tough upper. Unique rear lacing system. Superman grip with wrap around 3D sole unit. Reflective strip near to the ankle support. No offshore sailor should leave home without a pair. For more information: http://www.gillna.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net) Letters selected to be printed are routinely edited for clarity, space (250 words max) and to exclude unfounded speculation or personal attacks. You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. -- From Skip Ely, Santa Cruz Yachts - Rich Roberts' Transpac story in Friday's Butt refers to Ralphie as a Santa Cruz 52. Ralphie is actually a modified Santa Cruz 50. The Santa Cruz 52, is a much different yacht from the Santa Cruz 50 - the SC52 is a luxuriously appointed ULDB Cruiser/Racer and the SC50 is an optimized ULDB downwind racer. -- From Tucker Strasser - I read with great interest the restrictions on the 40 - 50 foot class for the Transpac race. Why, weight, rudder, keel restrictions, but allow water ballast? Is this the type of boats the three designers, Alan Andrews, Bill Lee and Jim Pugh feel comfortable, designing? If the boats are built to basic construction standards, let innovation dictate what is on the starting line. I remember hearing all the complaints about the restrictions surrounding the 70-foot class in years past. The whole restriction concept stifles innovation and is just plain silly unless you race One-Design. OLYMPICS (In March 1997, US Sailing's Olympic Sailing Committee named Hal Haenel team leader for the 1997-2000 Olympic quadrennial. A veteran Olympian ('88, '92, '96) Haenel sailed a Star with skipper Mark Reynolds and won two Olympic medals (gold in 1992, silver in 1988) and a world championship title in 1995. Gary Jobson recently talked with Haenel following the Olympic Team Trials in San Francisco. Here's and excerpt from that interview published on the NBC Olympics website.) Jobson: So, how many medals is the U.S. going to win? Haenel: Gary, I told you not to ask me that question. As team leader, I'm supposed to be the ultimate optimist, and that's what I am - optimistic all the way around. Jobson: Having been through the Games three times yourself, earning two medals and being a competitor, how do you shift gears from being a competitor to now being a manager? Haenel: It's a pretty easy transition, actually. It's all those things that you wanted to see get done while you were sailing, and just putting them into place. A lot of behind-the-scenes prep work, and just trying to make it all come together for the sailors. And you have that perspective coming from being there before. Jobson: Is it more pressure or less pressure? Haenel: Different kind of pressure. You want to do the best job you can for the whole team. Eighteen sailors are going to be there. It is self-imposed pressure. You can't win a medal from where I'm standing, but you can win 11 medals, so it's kind of a different kind of pressure. Jobson: There are a lot of facets to running the Olympic program. What things do you do to recruit future Olympic sailors? Haenel: Well, we hired a development coach who is working already for the next quad and bringing young talent up from the collegiate sailors. We're funding some 2004 programs already. We squeezed some extra boats into containers that are off to Europe, so the guys starting for the next quad for Athens 2004 are already looking ahead. Just met with Norm Blake, new head of the USOC, last Saturday in Chicago, and found out how the new management at USOC is going to restructure and try to get a handle on that now so we know what to expect from that side of the fence. Jobson: Training-wise, clinics, seminars? Programs? What kind of training do you do with sailors? Haenel: Well, obviously, every year we start the year with the Miami Olympic Classes regatta, and there is usually a camp beforehand, and so we gear up for that early. We get invitations out to Kiel and Germany so we get the international competition coming to the United States. It is a great event, so we get the other sailors to come here, which is a great program to kick off the New Year in January. So that is our first big push into the next quad. Jobson: Coaching is relatively new for sailing. How much impact does coaching have? Haenel: Well, one thing we've noticed is the rest of the world has come up to US Sailing's level with their concentration on coaching, and we've had to basically catch up with ourselves by putting staff coaches on. We used to use freelance coaches. We have more staff coaching now. It is definitely a very important factor in the whole program. Full interview: http://www.nbcolympics.com/?/news/experts/jobsogar/2000/06/29jobson.html GROSS MISCONDUCT (Rule 69) Effective June 16, 2000, US SAILING, the National Governing Body for the sport, has imposed the following penalties upon Andrew Blom, of Miami, Florida, pursuant to racing rule 69: 1. Mr. Blom's eligibility to compete in any event held within the jurisdiction of US SAILING (i.e., within the United States of America) is suspended for a period of two years. 2. Mr. Blom's ISAF (International Sailing Federation) eligibility is suspended for a period of two years (see Appendix K to the racing rules of sailing). 3. Mr. Blom shall lose his eligibility to participate in intercollegiate sailing, including organized sailing practices, for a period of two years. 4. Mr. Blom's US SAILING Level 1 Instructor Certification is revoked. 5. Mr. Blom shall be subject to a two year period of probation immediately following the expiration of his suspension of eligibility in competitive sailing. If, after a hearing, it is determined that Mr. Blom has committed a breach or gross breach of good manners or sportsmanship during the probationary period, US SAILING will administer penalties that reflect both the then-current incident and his prior actions as reflected in the June 16, 2000 decision. Mr. Blom is required to report any such decision to US SAILING promptly and to include reference to the June 16, 2000 decision in that report. - Terry D. Harper, Executive Director, US Sailing, http://www.ussailing.org/News/a_blom.htm
AROUND ALONE
CLUB MED |
