|
SCUTTLEBUTT No. 955 - November 30, 2001Scuttlebutt 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.
VOLVO OCEAN RACE SEB has 750 miles to go across the Great Australian Bight before entering the Bass Strait and then a slightly shorter mileage up the New South Wales coast and into Sydney in the early part of next week. We are running a three watch system now," explained Briton Matt Humphries, one of Krantz's senior lieutenants, after Van Triest's evacuation at Eclipse Island and departure home following his mother's death. Illbruck is the closest rival to SEB, with Jez Fanstone's NewsCorp another 32 miles back and Neal McDonald's Assa Abloy a further 17 miles beyond before there is a 30-mile gap to Knut Frostad's Djuice. "We're trying to keep our finger on the pulse and to react to everything Illbruck does," explained Humphries of the keen tactical battle. Both Illbruck and SEB speared further south into the Bight than their rivals, a move in which they have converted extra miles sailed into superior speed. One of those not hanging on so well is Djuice, which seemed to like the high wind sailing in the Southern Ocean but less so the power reaching in medium speeds. "We seem to be slipping back a little from the boats in front," said Terry Hutchinson, the American brought in to reinvigorate Djuice after a poor first leg to Cape Town. - Tim Jeffery, The Telegraph, UK, sport.telegraph.co.uk/sport KILPATRICK UPDATE: The doctors are extremely happy with the progress Keith Kilpatrick is making in Western Australia. Kilpatrick intends to fly to Sydney for the finish of Leg Two. He presently weighs only 184 pounds - down about 20 pounds from his weight at the start of Leg Two. Kilpatrick is eating well and will be working out with the rest of Amer Sports One crew in Sydney. Leg Three does not start until December 26 - if things progress as hoped, he'll do the remainder of the Volvo Ocean Race on the boat. UPDATED POSITIONS - November 29 @ 0358 GMT: 1. Team SEB, 1023 miles to finish; 2. illbruck, 14 miles behind leader 3. News Corp, 72 mbl; 3. Assa Abloy, 88 mbl; 4.; 5. djuice, 118 mbl; 6. Amer Sports One, 131 mbl; Amer Sports too, 442 mbl. - www.volvooceanrace.org/
SPEED TRIALS With square starting lines and upwind marks, The IMCOs with large sails were clearly fastest upwind. The IMCO One-Designs (2004 Olympic equipment) were next, followed by the new Mistral Prodigys, using the standard 8.5 meter sail. Open and Formula, both with large sails, were last to round. On the reaching legs, if planing conditions were present (enough wind, large sails, and skilled sailors), the Open and Formula boards were fastest, followed by the Prodigys and then the longboards. In lesser wind, the Prodigys had the edge and in even lighter wind, the longboards were probably the best. Ditto on the downwind legs. It would be interesting to see how the above scenario would pan out if all the boards had identical sail sizes. I suspect that the Prodigy (a modern, high volume, wide board with a centerboard) which was designed for beginners but with performance capabilities for the elite, would win hands down. - Dick Tillman CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: While I found Tillman's report both interesting and relevant, I don't want anyone to get the idea this means we've reopened the windsurfing tread. It remains officially closed.
SANTA'S HELPERS CAN FIND GREAT GIFTS HERE!
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON * From Meaghan Van Liew (In response to Monday's statistics, including Randy Repass' comment "Our figures show that only eight percent of sailors go racing."): Well, my figures show that only .001% of automobile drivers compete on a racetrack. It seems everyone is focusing on the problem and not the solution. The only way to encourage more sailors is to increase the number of spectators, who will eventually tread to the water's edge and set sail. The Open-60 trimaran fleet in France is booming with more than 20 new radical speed machines on the water by 2002. At $3 million a pop and daily media coverage it seems like a good example to investigate. Their success comes from four simple priorities: 1) Massive speed 2) A nonstop racing circuit 3) High tech video equipment aboard souped-up media platforms 4) Television media contracts that ensure every sponsorship dollar invested is returned through reaching an expansive offsite audience. If France can support this level of competition, surely America can bare to loose a few hours of pigskin for some amazing action on the water. To increase the number of sailors on the water, the racers you have now are the key. Lance Armstrong inspires more cyclists, Ricky Carmichael inspires more motorcyclists, and Ed Viesturs inspires more climbers. All of these sports have succeeded in identifying premier talent and making them American heroes. All of these sports have media contracts with major networks and cable television. Cover the sport and they will come! * From David Palmer: Peter Huston and Dierk Polzin are quite right. Maybe there is too much emphasis on the top end of racing, and there have been too many and too frequent rule changes. But there are some accessible, safe and fun events around; just take the ARC for example, which set off last Sunday from The Canaries heading across the Atlantic for the Caribbean. Almost 230 boats are involved! OK the diehard racing set might scoff at this event because it is not a serious race, but the people doing it are doing so for the sheer fun of it, and I'll bet that they are all having much more fun than the Volvo boys (and girls)! * From Jack Lynch: I would like to know where the idea that sailing is declining came from. Where is the data. Last year Annapolis Yacht Club awarded 330 trophies. There is a week-end in October when there are 8 Race Committees from 5 different club son the water. Racing on separate courses where 35 Mumm-30, 35 Melges-24, 10 Navy-44 ( Lloyd Phoenix Championship), college 420 and lasers and a PHRF course. None of these races appear on the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association schedule. So approximately 600 sailors where on the water that week-end and they were off the US Sailing and CBYRA screen. The Junior Programs in this area have increased approximately 10% a year over the last 5 years. There may be a decline in IMS and dingy sailing but it is more than made up by the increase in Melges , J-105, Etchells and other small keel boats at least in the Annapolis area. Various AYC Race Committees were on the water 80 days last year and Eastport Yacht Club, Severn Sailing Association and the Naval Academy Sailing were just as active. I believe sailing may be healthier than is currently perceived. * From Ed Cesare: I see two flaws in Peter Bentley's piece on madforsailing: 1) his condemning evidence is strictly anecdotal - snapshot pictures, a small number of E-mailed comments, etc. Indeed the only objective data he presents (pilot fish data) suggests that Amer Sports Too is the fastest boat in the fleet in light wind - where concentration and effort are at more of a premium than windy conditions 2) If one concedes that the Amer Sports Too crew are dogging it, a very serious charge made on professional sailors, does it then necessarily follow that they are dogging it because they are women? As an active sailor in the Farr40 class I have sailed with two or three world class sailors who are women and against two or three women in Grade 3 and 2 match race events. I haven't observed a lower level of intensity in these competitors. * From Reynald Neron: In a message from Phillip Olbert, it was stated that the sailors on Amer Sport Too owned to their sponsors to push the boat as hard as possible. I would like to point out that they also own to the sponsor to finish the race, with as many people as they had when they started... and if possible with the mast standing up. People who are criticising the sailors for not pushing the boat hard enough, probably would criticise the same sailors, should something break on board, for pushing too hard. There is a thin line between pushing too hard and not pushing hard enough. It is not for us, from our lounge rooms, to judge. Only the skipper and the sailors onboard are responsible for judging how hard they should push the boat. And even finishing last of such a race is a challenge, being for men as well as for women... Easy to criticise.... but hey, they are sailing and we are typing. * From Jim Capron (edited to our 250-word limit): Some of your readers are concerned with a recent report that ISAF recently "approved that for International Juries no person from the country hosting the event shall be appointed as Chairman of the Jury." What was actually approved was a submission that places in the regulations a policy that has been in effect for some time. Submission 051-01P (www.sailing.org/meetings/2001November/papers/submissions.zip) prohibits ISAF from appointing or approving a chairman from the same country as the OA for certain events. This applies only to ISAF Special Events (Americas Cup, Volvo Race, etc.) or ISAF Recognized Events (grade 1 match races, Pan Am games, etc.) where the International Jury is appointed or approved by ISAF. The Middle Sea Race is special, but not an ISAF Special Event - it would not come under this regulation. The organizers can continue to insist that a local judge be the chairman of their International Jury. Both the ISAF and US Sailing Judges Committees have recommended for some time that whenever possible, the chairman of the jury be from outside the club (outside the country for International events). The point is not whether any one jury has ever been found to have acted improperly, but that the jury that is seen by the competitors to be competent, fair, and impartial. This regulation is in the best interests of the sport. I know of no IRO or IJ that would take offense at the deliberate distancing of the jury from those that are organizing or running the races. * From Stephen Tupper Chairman ISAF, Race Officials Committee: I notice the comments about the new regulations regarding the appointment of the Chairman of the International Jury for "Special" and "Recognized" events. Unfortunately it appears that the people who are concerned possibly have not looked at what a "Special" and or "Recognized" event is. "Special Events" are listed in Regulation 18.11.3(a) This list includes the Olympics, the America's Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race and other very high profile events. "Recognized Events" are listed in Regulation 18.11.3(b). These events include high-level Match Race events, Regional Games (Pan Am) and Olympic Qualifiers amongst others. Races such as the Middle Sea Race which are not so classified can still appoint a national of the host country as chair of their International Jury if they wish. * From Paul Henderson, ISAF President: Tupper is absolutely right. It is too bad that sailors jump to such conclusions without reading the ISAF Regulations. ISAF only gets involved in the appointment of about 2% of the International Juries and the rest is left up to the Event Organizer or the Class as it has always been. ISAF does not decree any of the following except in Olympic Classes: Nationality requirements, Weigh-ins, Starting Procedures, Hiking, Asymmetrical Spinnakers or any spinnakers for that matter, Courses, and on and on. A Class can decide how they want to sail and should do so. There are no demons under the ISAF rocks. Stop looking for them. Yes we do develop the Right of Way Rules and the "new rules" have lowered the number of protests. Sailors not respecting the "old rules" was why twenty years ago there was a rule allowing third party protests. If competitors do not want to respect the rules or use the rules as an offensive weapon instead of what they are meant to do which is to stop collisions then no rule, old or new, will work. Everytime I see a sailor carrying a set of "Appeals" I know there is a sailor who should be given lots of water. (Hopefully icy) Buddy Melges always said: "There is no theory in sailing that says that a boat impaled in another boat sails faster than one sailing free". * From Don Becker, US Sailing Sr. Judge: Reading all the complaints about the complicated 'new' rules, which really aren't new any more, am I missing something?
Quite simply: This covers 95% of the situations out there. . With regard to the starting system, I have noticed that when the first signal goes up you do need to be ready to race.
AMERICA'S CUP "I think it is common knowledge that issues developed that we couldn't resolve. But the fact is that we began talking with Michel Bonnefous and Ernesto Bertarelli [from Alinghi] well after that final race." Ironically, Alinghi's new syndicate base is next door to Team New Zealand's. "A bit of banter goes on back and forwards across the fence," Coutts said. "We had many great years with Team New Zealand and we have a great relationship with them." - Julie Ash, NZ Herald Full story: www.nzherald.co.nz/sports/
SAILING ON TV * Monday, December 3: ESPN2 will re-air their 2001 Transpacific Race program, 2:30 PM RST (11:30 AM PST).
VALUABLE DECK REAL ESTATE
CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS
INDUSTRY NEWS * The Canadian Yachting Association has named Kelly Hand as the National Team Coach for the Canadian Sailing Team. Kelly's experiences include Gold Medal performances at the 1999 Pan American Games and the 1999 Laser Radial World Championships. He was a personal coach for the 1999-2000 Canadian 470 teams, and was part of the Canadian coaching team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia working with the Europe class.
SNIPE WORLDS STANDINGS: 1. Paradeda/ Paradeda, Brazil 9, 2. Silveira/ Shaban, Uruguay 17, 3. Manso/ Lorenso, Cuba 23, 4. Vasconcellos brothers, Brazil 25, 5. Hardesty/ Rogers, USA, 29, 10. Augie Diaz/ Mark Ivey, 16. Doug Hart/ Steve Stewart, 18. Kevin Funsch/ Watt Duffy, 19. George Szabo/ Eric Wilcox. - www.snipeuruguay.com
THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION |
