|
SCUTTLEBUTT No. 618 - August 3, 2000KENWOOD CUPThe breeze at last returned to Hawaii, and the 29 boats in the fleet at last enjoyed the sort of racing they have come for and for which the series is famous: steady Trade Winds breeze of around 20 knots, big rolling seas, blue skies and blazing sun. It was a blessed relief after the frustrations of the past few days, when the effects of Tropical Storm Daniel - which at one stage threatened Waikiki itself with 60 knots winds and which caused the abandonment of Monday's practice session and yesterday's second race - blocked off the seasonal Trades. The racers responded with some magnificently spectacular sailing - and just enough incidents to keep the photographers, the copy-writers and the repair men busy. In the tight-fought Farr 40 group racing within Class C Masato Fujimaki's Foundation found herself squeezed over the starting line by the pin-end bunch and had to go round the end to re-start. Doing this she came across the Kenwood's always pressing spectator fleet and, baulked, bounced off the leeward end committee boat, happily suffering no permanent damage. Not so fortunate was Andrew Taylor in Andiamo, the reserve boat for the New Zealand team: in the stiff conditions the Davidson 55's hydraulics blew apart, causing serious control difficulties with the rig. Andiamo started the second race, but withdrew shortly afterwards. In the Farr 40s, John Kilroy and Phillipe Kahn spent the day keeping each other at bay, sailing tack for tack and gybe for gybe and ending the afternoon honours even, each with a first and second. Kahn took the first race and Kilroy the second. In the other one-design fleet - the J105's - Sam Hock's Jose Cervo slipped to third in today's second race but nonetheless leads overall, thanks to a win this morning to add to yesterday's second place. With a 1st, a 2nd and a 4th in Race 3 of the 2000 Kenwood Cup, New Zealand took a total of 23 points to claw back almost all of the Australian lead in the twelfth ninth running of this international team championship for offshore race boats. The defenders (New Zealand won the Kenwood Cup in 1998) pulled back to within just 3 points off the series leaders. But Australia bit back hard with a first, second and seventh in the windward/ leeward which followed the ocean triangle to keep the Kiwi challenge at bay. Even so, with 122 points to the leaders' 130 New Zealand has halved Australia's advantage to just 8 points. Racing continues tomorrow, Thursday, with the first of the re-vamped regatta's distance races, the 55-miler from Diamond Head round the corner of Oahu to Kanehoe and return. - Susan McKeag Team scores after race 4: 1 Australia 130 points, 2 New Zealand 122, 3 USA Red 97, 4 Japan 71, 5 USA White 65, 6 USA Blue 24. For full results, photos and latest news: http://www.kenwoodcup.com CLUB MED Wednesday 2nd August 2000 - After the incident on Monday evening, the maxi-catamaran Club Med is continuing to motor towards Newport and is expected to arrive during the night of Wednesday/Thursday. Despite thick fog, the boat's current weather conditions are quite mild, allowing the boat to make good progress towards port. Two of the team's on board mattresses are being used to seal the crash box, proving that this incident has not affected the morale or the ingenuity of the crew. In a telephone interview, Grant Dalton explained, "Everyone on board is trying to work out what led to this incident. It's difficult to say if there was an impact as we did not recover the piece of the crash box. For the moment we don't know exactly where we'll carry out our repairs, the decision will be taken within 48 hours. This incident does not have any consequences for the boat's technical programme, since a complete refit at the yard was planned at the end of these months of sailing." The boat has sailed from La Trinite to Cadiz, Cadiz to the Bahamas and Miami to Newport. The team of architects, already in Newport, will decide before the end of the week in consultation with the crew, if Club Med can be temporarily repaired and repatriated by some members of the team or if it will be necessary to take her on a cargo ship to Vannes. http://www.therace.clubmed.com/press/news.phtml NEW WORLD STANDARD 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 COWES WEEK In the words of the Britannia Cup winner, Tony de Mulder, yesterday at Skandia Cowes Week was a day "for keeping the boat on its feet and staying out of trouble" after three yachts sank and many were dismasted in winds reaching 35 knots. Yet there were no casualties, and though one mayday call went out to the Solent coastguard it was not a life-threatening emergency. Blue Wave, Geoff Cass's Dutch 37-footer, experienced steering difficulties and collided with Philip Tolhurst's Farr 40, Warlord VI, tearing of that boat's headstay and snapping the top off her own mast. Blue Wave, nevertheless, was able to motor back to Cowes. The Cowes Combined Clubs kept the smaller day boats in the eastern Solent and out of the worst seas, but many did not race and others retired. Oliver Laughton-Scott's Daring I collided with Stewart Simpson's Melges 24 Barbarians at the Gate off Hill Head. Barbarians helmsman Nick Ide saw the sharp, strong bow of Daring slice into the Melges hull. Crew member Chris Quinton fell overboard and within seconds the rest of Barbarians' crew had joined him. "She sank in seconds," said Ide. "Fortunately, we had drysuits and buoyancy aids, but 10 minutes seems a long time waiting to be picked up when you've nothing to stand on." David Bevan-Thomas's Sunbeam, Argosy, was another to sink, as was Fiona Jackson's XOD, Elicia. Stuart Childerley, back on Doug Flynn's Beneteau 47.7, Kirribilli, managed to drop his sails, recover a crew member and still finish third in Class 1, the big boat division won by Peter Morton's Mills 50, Mandrake. - Tim Jeffery, Daily Telegraph, UK Full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=001648423620749&rtmo=wAQA0jeb&atmo=99999999 &pg=/et/00/8/3/soyots03.html LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net) Letters selected to be printed are edited for clarity, space (250 words max) and to exclude unfounded speculation or personal attacks. This is not a chat room - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. -- From Patrick Kershaw - Cory Friedman suggested keelboats did not require athleticism to sail well, and implied Olympics events were purely athletically focused. I almost think that he posted this just to get a rise out of someone, so it might as well be me. I strongly disagree with his characterization of keelboat sailing and the spirit of the Olympics. Olympic keelboats and trapeze rigged boats are sailed by athletes. I've sailed both, and, from the perspective of the athletic fitness of the crew, I would rather do twenty tacks in a 505 or I14 (no I haven't sailed 49ers) than twenty tacks in a Star . In either discipline, the fitness of the crew directly affects the ability to finish at the top consistently. The straight leg hiking driver of a Star or a Laser is really the fitness king. Don't go dis'n America's Cup sailors either... the workout routines of the crews on those boats would challenge most self-proclaimed athletes. Unballasted boats do provide for more spectacular crashes when errors are made, so they are better for TV. While like chess in its requirement for intelligence, sailing keelboats still requires physical coordination and athleticism. I think it is actually more athletic than archery, shooting, equestrian events, or maybe even rhythmic gymnastics. For the fitness and skill of the sailor it attracts, and the traditional aspects of the boat, I hope they keep the Star. -- From Guy Brierre (In response to Cory E. Friedman's comments) - "Olympic sailors should look like track and field or other serious athletes"? Have you seen the heavyweight weight lifters? The Weightlifting trials were held here in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago. Tremendous athletes yes, but they look nothing like track and field athletes - more like couch potatoes with metabolism problems. How about archers? curlers? shooters? No real adonises there. Looks don't convey the talent, determination and heart these athletes posses. A 280lb Star or Soling crew must go from full droop hike over the deck, under the deck to clear the boom and launch back into a droop hike in seconds while also trimming the jib. A Star skipper must have the upper body strength to sheet in a mainsail larger than many 30-footers with only a 3:1 or 4:1 purchase in 20+ knots while steering and hiking. Maybe not exactly the same as running a steeplechase, but all Olympic sailors must have the same drive and talent, as well as tremendous physical abilities, that any track and field athlete has. A very good class will be eliminated from the 2004 Olympics, no matter which one goes. We all hope it isn't ours. But let's not let misguided ideas of what is or isn't a "world class athlete" cloud the issue. -- From Ralph Longfellow (Re: Cory E. Friedman - Butt #616) - Where does it say that the Olympics are athletic events not sporting events? Does that mean that they should eliminate archery, skeet, equestrian and shooting to name a few? Don't get me wrong, I think the 49er is a great addition to the Olympic Class. However, there should still be a place for the keel boats. It's a damn few keelboat sailors who have the spare "billion of two" to take them to the Americas Cup. Just because a person is not an "iron man" does not mean they can't be a great sailor. Sailing is a lot more than athletics. It includes preparation, tactics, teamwork and strategy to name a few. Keep the keel boats and give the sailors a place to shine. -- From Arthur Bugs Baer (brutally slashed to our 250-word limit)- Jim Teeters's excellent guest editorial presents the case for the IMS splendidly. As an owner - well, actually an in-between-boats owner right now - I agree with him fully. I hear many complaints about the IMS, particularly in Europe, and they tend to fall into a few categories: When I hear people criticizing IMS, I challenge them, "Tell me what concept you think would be better. IMS handicaps a huge variety of boats equitably, and then adjusts for the wind conditions. Tell me your concept of something better." They usually have no real answer. IMS is the best concept. If you threw it out tomorrow and started over, any attempt to rate a variety of boats equitably and to adjust for the wind conditions would get you right back to where you started, the IMS under some new name. The biggest problem for the IMS is simply money. A top-level competitor, willing to spend, say US$2 million for a new boat, is perfectly willing to put, say 2% or 3% into researching the rule. So the top designers greadually acquire a library of research that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, all for the purpose of finding some new weakness in the VPP. It is greatly to the credit of David Pedrick and other designers that they contribute their time and efforts to keep the IMS up to date. Soon it may genuinely be bulletproof. It would be good for all of us if it were. -- From Bev Carter- In the bad old IOR days, I bought a new 3/4 tonner from Dick Carter pointing to the 3/4 ton Worlds and the SORC. It turned out that a couple of guys named Holland and Peterson came up with faster designs the following year (1975) and one year old boats were toast. A few years later, NAYRU (now US Sailing) asked for contributions to fund a study at MIT in an effort to develop a better measurment rule. Many sailors including me supported the study. The result was the IMS Rule. It is still the best measurement rule around. Let's face it, if you want absolutely level racing, even one-designs don't achieve that. Ask anyone who races Lightnings, Stars, 470's or anything larger. I remember seeing a Lightning that had a slab of marble glassed into the bottom! If level racing is the objective we should all sail one-designs and swap boats after every race. That isn't likely. Let's stick with IMS. We have a lot invested in it. -- From Ron Baerwitz - I absolutely agree with Mark Gaudio's short comment. If these wealthy owners (aka RO's) want real racing then one design is the only way, and the best way. A person who spends tons of cash to beat the rule is showing nothing more than his own lack of confidence in his racing abilities. Put everyone in the same boat then there is no dispute at the end of the day (And Mr. Leweck may be out of business!!!). One design boats come in all sizes from Optis to Maxis. There's a one design game for even the richest racers. Now, don't get me wrong. There is a place for handicap racing. However, it is ludicrous for people to argue, debate or spend every last penny to beat it. What's the point? Handicap racing should be for those who cruise first and race second. -- From Clark E. Chapin - The former President of US Sailing, Bill Martin, was appointed University of Michigan Athletic Director for a five-year contract yesterday. He will donate his first year's salary to the University. JAMES SPITHILL (At 20 years of age, Australian James Spithill was the youngest sailor ever to skipper an America's Cup class yacht when he led Young Australia in the last Louis Vuitton Cup. Following are just a few excerpts from the transcript of his hour-long chat with sailors and sailing fans on the Quokka website.) Question: Does it bother or encourage you that sailing has become a fascination of the billionaires? James Spithill: Well, I think it's obviously good for the sport because these guys are putting money into it. These corporations and billionaires are purchasing guys from different countries, so with nationalities not really mattering now, it seems the sport is getting more professional. It's almost like Formula One, where a German team may have all different nationalities on the team. It shows the sport is getting more professional, which obviously helps the sport. It's good to see these guys coming into the sport, because they, in turn, attract others like Larry Ellison from Oracle. I think it really helps it. Question: What do you think Australia's chances are in the 2003 America's Cup, provided we get the funding and keep the crew together? James Spithill: I think it's definitely going to be a tough challenge. At the moment, there are a couple of syndicates that are trying to get something together. But we really are running out of time. We have to have the structure in place pretty soon, or I don't think we'll be able to do it. Unless you have the right funding and the right sailing program, it's just too hard a challenge. You can't leave it too late. I really hope Australia does get something together; but with the Challenger Series starting at the end of 2002, there's not much time. So let's hope so, but it has to happen pretty soon. It doesn't matter what sort of sporting venture you're talking about - you always need more time. The whole game is hard enough, and you don't want to make it any harder. Question: Has the winning and subsequent loss of the America's Cup diminished the Australian appetite for the contest? James Spithill: I think, in a way, that Australia has definitely lost a bit of interest, compared with back in the late '80s when we had it. This is due to a number of factors in Australia. Obviously, the Olympics have a lot of interest, corporate and public. Also, in the past, few Australian challenges have had much luck - with boats sinking and a few poor performances - so people have started to lose interest. But with Young Australia 2000, we tried to change peoples' perceptions that this wasn't just a game for old guys with lots of money! We were doing it because of the sport, and because we wanted to, so they really took interest then. They enjoy that underdog attitude. The rivalry with Australia and New Zealand is always there, in any sport, so it was great when we were in New Zealand. They really helped us out. And as much as we love playing each other and baiting each other, we also like to help each other out. Question: Who is your idol, or who do you look up to? James Spithill: I suppose with America's Cup and match racing, I look up to Peter Gilmour. He's from Australia, and he's gone out there and become a three-time champion, and number one in the world. We tend to look up to Peter, because we're trying to follow the same path as him. Definitely I look up to guys like the Paul Cayards and the other top guys who have gone out there and done it. They're such great sailors. I hope people will look up to us someday, too. We want to make it in the professional world of yachting on the level of the (Dennis) Conners and the Gilmours and the Cayards, so guys will look up to us - and we can set a good example for them. Full transcript: http://sailing.quokka.com/stories/08/SLQ__0801_s_spithill_chat_WFC.html AMERICA'S CUP (In the New Zealand Herald, Suzanne McFadden contends that the Bees, the new billionaires' club of the America's Cup, are pushing the Auld Mug out of the reach of more humble contenders. In the following excerpt from that story, she looks at the current lineup of challengers.) Italy: Prada's gallant run in the last Cup has bred talk of at least two challenges out of Italy. Prada are in, for sure. But a second challenge could come from Naples, and another rich man, shipping magnate Vincenzo Onorato. He has the backing of a Japanese insurance company and the services of big boat designer Giovanni Ceccarelli. Prada are well underway, back training in Punta Ala with a fleet of four boats - two Luna Rossas, two Young Americas. United States: Billionaire Ellison is about to close a deal to buy America One's assets and launch his syndicate with San Francisco's St Francis Yacht Club. But what happens to Paul Cayard, the head of AmericaOne? If Dickson skippers the boat, and Ellison runs the campaign, Cayard will be left in a lesser role. OneWorld, the Seattle-based syndicate of telecommunications billionaire Craig McCaw, continues to roll on, while their neighbours, rival syndicate the Seattle Challenge, stutter trying to raise local funds. Old foes Dennis Conner and the New York Yacht Club are back together as Stars and Stripes, and only time will tell if the unusual alliance survives through until October 2002. America True skipper Dawn Riley is still out hunting for money for another shot at the Cup, but a number of her sailors have moved on. Switzerland: Russell Coutts' un-named team continue to sign up Kiwi brains. The latest is understood to be Richard Bouzaid, off-shore sailor and successful Auckland sailmaker. The billionaire-backed team are now looking at buying Nippon's two boats. The second Swiss team, Watch Out, have chartered Team NZ's 1995 Cup winner, NZL32, for the next two Auckland summers. Sweden: The Victory Challenge bought old Team NZ boat NZL38, and the Kiwis are teaching them how to sail it. The campaign, backed by Swedish media mogul Jan Stenbeck and run by Olympian Mats Johansson, are seriously light on Cup experience. Australia: It's all quiet on the western front as far as the new $A60 million campaign set up by former test pilot Michael Jones. Jones has been in meetings in Europe, but could be struggling after failing to sign up Gilmour. Six-time Cup veteran Syd Fischer is adamant he will be back with Young Australia, certain to be another bare-bones youth team. France: Whispers coming out of France are not too good for Le Defi, battling to find the huge dollars needed to be competitive this time. They say they have enough to carry on for the next six months, but skipper Pace says he doubts whether he will sign up again. - Suzanne McFadden, NZ Herald, http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ac2000/ THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help. |
