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SCUTTLEBUTT 1890 - July 28, 2005Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. TECHNOLOGY A Project of the Russian Sailing Federation, 470 Internationale, St Petersburg City and Web Arena will enable the viewing of Real Time Dinghy Championships on-Line for what has to be the first time in the Sports history. At the 470 Junior (Under 22) World Championships in St Petersburg, 30 boats are fitted with transponders and will be feeding live visuals onto a huge screen on the beach and to the Internet. The Championship features almost 80 competitors from 19 Nations. ISAF President, Goran Petersson recently said in an interview with Sailing World magazine, "…This is the way to make it interesting for the spectator. ...We want to see as many nations as you like on the screen so you can tell your viewers what position they are in and if they improve two places... Let's provide more information quickly and accurately." Competition in the Junior Worlds starts on the 27th of July, with the Finals between the 30th of July and the 2nd of August. The Internet feeds of Racing will be going to http://www.geofix.c-map.ru/ or http://iracing.ru/ or Links from the 470 Home of www.470.org. (A working knowledge of Russian may be handy.) -- Darren Dunkley-Smith, mailto:darren@470.org PREVIEWS OF COMING ATTRACTIONS? Ben Ainslie and Iain Percy are regarded as Britain's America's Cup dream team and are likely to be at the heart of any future British-based syndicate, with Ainslie perhaps driving the race boat and Percy skippering the team. Both men are currently employed by foreign America's Cup syndicates - Ainslie with Emirates Team New Zealand and Percy with the small Italian outfit +39 - but their long-term ambitions remain with Britain and the singular goal of leading the first British team to win sailing's greatest prize. Percy, who skippers +39 and will be racing on a variety of boats next week in his role as a Skandia-sponsored Olympic sailor, believes there is no time to lose. "To be honest, now is the time to be thinking about something for 2009-10," said the Finn gold medallist who, together with Ainslie, has been learning his America's Cup trade on the professional match-racing circuit this year. "The point is you've got British guys like myself and Ben learning the game of match-racing, learning the game of America's Cup, and the time will be right in the future to put together a British team. There are clearly the financial resources in a country like England and there is a large group of talented sailors - we've got massive potential, not only to enter the Cup but to do well." Ainslie believes that with Harrison now dropping back, there is an opportunity for a new beginning. "There is no point in carrying on with a team just to be there as also-rans," said the double Olympic gold medallist who currently skippers Team New Zealand's "B" boat. "A fresh team will probably make life a bit easier because there won't be baggage from earlier campaigns." Ainslie is committed to his current employer and is thus restricted in what he can say or do. "It wouldn't be right for us to be going round starting new teams, but equally something needs to happen to try and get the ball rolling again and hopefully get a main investor involved, either now or in the next year or so," he said. -- Edward Gorman, The Sunday Times, full story: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2094-1705993,00.html GROWING THE AUDIENCE Lance Armstrong's record seventh straight Tour de France victory was watched by an average of 1.7 million viewers Sunday, the largest audience in the history of the Outdoor Life Network. The live coverage of Armstrong's career-ending victory late Sunday morning drew an audience significantly larger than the network's average prime-time audience of 330,000 people. OLN has used the Tour de France -- and Armstrong's remarkable winning streak -- to make a name for itself. The network first began televising cycling's signature event in 2001. In 2003, the audience for the race had doubled. Last year, it nearly doubled again -- despite the network failing to provide live coverage of Armstrong crossing the finish line. This year, an average audience of 607,250 watched OLN's 23 days of live coverage of the Tour. OLN, in more than 63 million homes, broadcasts outdoor adventure and action sports television such as the Gravity Games, professional bullriding, the Boston Marathon and skiing. Earlier this week, the network announced it had acquired the rights to broadcast the 2007 America's Cup in the United States. -- Associated Press, http://tinyurl.com/dnyfe ULLMAN SAILS QUALITY INVESTMENT! Why are Ullman Sails the "Fastest Sails on the Planet?" Simple…Ullman selects only premium sailcloth and marine hardware that the sailmaking industry can provide. Ullman Sails combines the latest proven sail design programs with proven construction technique that have an end result of simply the best sails available. Whether you race, cruise, or merely enjoy daysailing, look for top quality sails that combine performance, durability, and service. There is only one clear choice…Ullman Sails. Call your nearest Ullman Sails loft or visit us at http://www.ullmansails.com TRANSPAC The oldest crew in 43 Transpacific Yacht Races over 100 years sailed past Diamond Head early Wednesday morning with smiles beaming through their grey beards to rival the Hawaiian sunrise. "This dream, this impossible dream," Bubala skipper Lloyd Sellinger reveled. "I'm so thrilled. I don't [bleeping] believe it!" They were the last of 13 Cal 40s to finish (a 14th dropped out early) and their elapsed time of about 15 days 21 hours was almost 10 days over the new Transpac record set by Morning Glory last weekend. Hasso Plattner and Russell Coutts had long ago left town, but none of that mattered. At their Waikiki Yacht Club welcome party Bubala fans passed out T-shirts proclaiming "Old Men Rule." "You know what," Sellinger, 72, declared. "We won." Tabasco, a charted 1D35 raced by five Southern Californians calling themselves the Alamitos Bay Syndicate, finished a strong run at 1:31 a.m. Wednesday about 150 miles ahead of the next boat in Division IV, averaging 8 knots for the 2,225 nautical miles and dominating their seven-boat class like no other winner---first to finish and on handicap time. Thirteen Division III boats also started July 15 but fought a different kind of battle ending Tuesday. Reinrag2, a J/125 from Portland, Ore. sailed by skipper Tom Garnier, four members of his family and Rob Waterman, patiently worked its way to the front and then held onto its handicap time lead by more than three hours after The Cone of Silence from Australia flew past with a string of 200-mile-plus days near the end. The Cone of Silence is a 31-foot Super 30 class boat, designed by Reichel/Pugh, as were Morning Glory and this year's overall winner, the Transpac 52 Rosebud. But it's built more on the lines of a skiff than the usual Transpac boat. Skipper Jamie O'Neill said the boat has logged 300-mile days in the Mooloolaba race back home, although its top day in this race was 263---not bad for a 31-footer. "We never really had our conditions except for the last few days," O'Neill said. "When you have a little boat you need to be planing and you need 14 knots [of wind]. We really struggle in light conditions. "We had a pretty good last 100 miles, and we got a good squall 200 miles out that carried us for 40 miles." -- Rich Roberts, complete standings: http://www.transpacificyc.org/ BOX RULE BOATS (In a story posted on the Daily Sail subscription website, Luke Shingledecker, one of the naval architects at Farr Yacht Design, discusses the ORC's new 26, 33 and 42-ft box rule 'level classes.' Here's an excerpt) "They are a little like smaller TP52s. They are light for their length and they have a moderate amount of sail area for their length, but plenty of sail area for their displacement. Their stability is not high stability - it isn't on the TP52s either - it is probably enough to get good performance in a range of conditions. They definitely have more stability than a typical IMS boat but they are also so much lighter for their size which really changes the kind of boat they are." In comparison to internationally known quantities such as the Mumm 30 and Farr 40 the new ORC boats are generally for their length narrower, lighter and have a little less stability. Comparing the ORC 42 with the Farr 40 directly from a stability perspective, the 42 has less beam, a slightly larger mainsail area, a bigger distance between the mast and the tack of the jib (J) and the possibility of much much bigger kites (at present these seem to have no luff or leech length controls, only girths - maybe this is an omission), and is substantially lighter. Redressing all these stability sapping features is that the 42 has much more draft. Shingledecker reckons the new ORC boats will positively fly downwind but won't be as good upwind in breeze. He adds: "I don't expect them to be incredibly tender boats. They will be what you expect out of a lightweight race boat upwind in big breeze - they will be a challenge but they won't be excessive tippy." - The Daily Sail, www.thedailysail.com CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar NOT A BAD WEEK. There are a lot of smiles at Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design this week. Their TP52 Lexus/ Quantum Racing won the Breitling Cup (Majorca, Spain), the highly competitive Transpac 52 Class Regatta taking first place in three of the seven races. Dr. Hasso Plattner's Reichel Pugh maxZ86 Morning Glory won Transpac's Barn Door, finishing first and obliterating the course record. Roger and Isobel Sturgeon sailed their RP TP 52 Rosebud to best overall corrected time in the Transpac fleet and James O'Neill's Cone of Silence, the smallest boat in the Transpac fleet at 32' LOA finished first on elapsed time in her class against her much bigger rivals and corrected to second place in class. And Eamon Conneely's Irish sistership to Lexus Quantum won the IRC Super Zero class of the RORC 151 Mile Channel Race. As if that was not enough, they also launched Stephen Ainsworth's latest Loki a 60' IRC cruiser racer built by Azzura Yachts and Alfa Romeo - Neville Crichton's 30m super maxi built by McConaghy's. Not a bad week. NEWS BRIEFS * Ventura, Calif. -- Tuesday was another late day on the water Hobie 16 North Americans with racing once again ending at around 7:30. The wind started off light and built to about twelve knots in the afternoon. Five races were sailed in all. Enrique and Carla Figueroa from, Puerto Rico, have taken the lead. Defining champions Aramondo Noriega and Rodrigo Achach from Mexico are now in second. The top ten have representatives from four countries, two from Puerto Rico and from the US one from Guatemala and three from Mexico. Complete results, pictures and updates: www.HCA-NA.org * The Sail America Board of Directors announces the appointment of Scott H. Evans as executive director of the sailing industry trade association, effective August 1, 2005. Evans assumes the post vacated by Scot West and brings an impressive management background to Sail America, including a decorated 26-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard. * A memorial for Derek Baylis will be held at the San Francisco Yacht Club in Belvedere is coming Sunday, July 31, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. * North Sails has partnered with Chris Bedford and his team of expert meteorologists at Sailing Weather Services to provide FREE weather forecasts for the Lands' End Marblehead NOOD Regatta from July 28-31, 2005. Detailed forecasts will be emailed to subscribers each morning by 0730 local time. To sign up, visit North's online weather center at: http://na.northsails.com/ew/ew_main.taf * McDonnell Haynes Integrated Communication Partners has developed a new fundraising advertising campaign to support Canadian Derek Hatfield's bid to sail around the world on board Spirit of. The agency recently launched a series of ads designed to heighten awareness of Canada's only competitor in the upcoming 5-Oceans Challenge solo sailing race in 2006 - Skipper Derek Hatfield aboard Spirit of Canada. The ads feature the names of Canadians who have contributed to support Derek's bid. -- www.spiritofcanada.net * The Grupo Leche Pascual has just signed a sponsorship agreement with the Spanish VO70 Movistar syndicate, which will not only provide financial support, but also Pascual products to the crew, such as pasteurized yoghourts. Pedro Campos, Moviestar General Manager, says Leche Pascual, "85 is not only a sponsor, but a provider of the technological support that we will need for our nutrition." * An ICSA Team has won British-America Trophy -- a co-helm, three on three team race sailed in Firefly's at West Kirby, England. Conditions for the match were 18-22 knots breeze so the race committee decided to use the small, cut-down mains. The USA 'East' side (Ben Gent, Jeff Bonanni, Charlie Enright) dominated their rival helms 3-1, while the USA 'West' side (Andrew Campbell, Harrison Turner, Justin Law) recovered from some starting problems their first three matches to win their last two, including the deciding ninth race. -- www.collegesailing.org/ LEADING TACTICAL NAVIGATION SOFTWARE B&G's Deckman software includes all the tools you need for short course round the buoys racing or long distance offshore and ocean racing. It gives you the best start to races with its unique start screen with information you can trust. Deckman has the industry leading routing engine for optimum route analysis along with the capability to edit GRIB files when taking into consideration observed weather changes. You can carry out boat testing functions for immediate analysis and improvement and update polar files for pre-start, navigation and performance. For more information, free demo, or upgrade software please see http://www.BandG.com/deckman.htm LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. This is neither 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. And please save your bashing, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere.) * From Cam Lewis: Congratulations to all the great sailors and boats and their results in this year's Transpac. It should be known that the record for fastest official racing and sailing time in the race was set in 1997 by co skippers + Bruno Peyron and me with a great crew that included Skip Novak and Florence Arthaud in a time of something like 5 days 7 hours and change in an multihull that was over 12 years old. * From Paul Kelly: In Scuttlebutt 1889 Mr. Rutherford seems to be upset that one Transpac 52 owes another one almost 4 hours over the length of the Transpacific Yacht Race course. If my calculations are correct, that translates to about 6 seconds per mile handicap. When I was racing Thistle class one-design dinghies, I wished that my boatspeed was that close to the fleet leaders. * From Wells Pile: In 'Butt 1889, Dave Bandstra said, "The thrill of sailboat racing is the pursuit of excellence measured only by your competition." I have spent my life on various boats, but find my greatest pleasure in my little Beetle Cat. Once a week my competition consists of the other Beetles in our fleet, but many other days and evenings are spent on a "pleasure sail" and I enjoy "racing" other, larger boats on the water. When a friend on an S boat sailed into a bad wind shift that I avoided, when I passed a haphazardly sailed 50 something boat with all the bells and whistles, Kevlar sails, and an auto-pilot it was gratifying. It has been fun passing this onto my children who once couldn't understand why that little boat is my favorite. They learned that sometimes people don't even know (or care) that they are in a race until they have been passed, that being alert to changing conditions and altering to suit them is important, that slow but sure is sometimes more successful, and that physical and financial advantages don't always assure success. They also learned that it's important to enjoy what you are doing, even when you are hopelessly out-gunned. These lessons have influenced their lives far from the race course. * From John Jamison: When I read the story about the kid's event (Sand Traps and Potholes), it got me thinking how youth events really should be planned as thoroughly as adult events. I am sure that those running the races in the story were very well intentioned people, but things just weren't working out, and the kids were getting shorted. I know I am looking forward to my next turn at helping with race committee at my club, and in how I can hopefully contribute to providing a positive experience to the sailors. * From Henry Brauer (edited to our 250-word limit): Craig Leweck's comments regarding Sand Traps and Potholes makes some interesting points regarding setting square starting lines and race courses, however, there are some benefits to challenging sailors of all ages to be creative and think about their environment. Our sport, particularly one design sailing, has become very sterile. How many windward leeward courses can one sail in a given season? What happened to the Olympic, gold cup and triangular courses? It seems that 25 years ago these were the only courses we sailed, today its sausages. I applaud the time and effort that our volunteer race managers give to our sport - let them be creative too. How often do competitors reach back and forth while the committee spends too much time trying to set the perfect starting line and windward leg. Race managers should be encouraged to think out of the box and challenge sailors in new ways: set courses closer to land, use an island as a mark, have a downwind start, race off the dock inside the harbor. There is nothing wrong with allowing sailors to use their creativity and imagination while racing. Forcing sailors to use their minds will make them better racers and maintain interest in our sport. The young sailors that may not have come out on top in the regatta Craig mentioned still learned a great deal and will be better prepared for their next adventure. * From Dick Enersen: I hate to keep writing about dead shipmates, but.... Bill Lawhorn was indeed a fine sailor and a great shipmate who will be missed by all who knew him. What may not be generally known about Bill is that he was perhaps the loudest snorer who ever lived. We were watchmates in Baldwin Baldwin's 72' yawl Audacious in the '66 Bermuda Race and bunked opposite each other in the commodious main saloon. Bill's snoring shook the boat from end to end. Each aspiration could be compared to kick starting a two stroke dirt bike, so loud that once I had to wake him, lest he give himself a concussion in his slumber. Wherever he's sleeping now, I hope it's more peaceful. * From Ray Tostado: Needed repair is in order for PHRF. It is broken and is breaking racer's hearts because it was fair and equitable in its intentions. There is no blame to be assigned; it's just that things change, and PHRF has not. The focus in the title is performance. But performance is not being revisited in any designed manner nor with truly objective results. PHRF has avoided singling out individual boats, but rather treats them as a class if they are a production boat. Golf handicapping might work. I can strongly state that proper software can be written to reassess every boat in 6, 12, or 18 month cycles. Stop rating boats as XY- 34s; but rate THAT XY 34 for performance based on finishes. Stop chasing wind conditions and settle back to who finished where and not why they did. No golf handicap asks were the fairways hard or soft? Did the putting greens slant away from the cup? We can no longer afford to have subjective attitudes in rating boards decide what is reality out on the race course. Go straight to the finishes, boat for boat, in class, and things will even out in time. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS "Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older it avoids you." -- Winston Churchill |
