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SCUTTLEBUTT 1736 - December 21, 2004Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt is adigest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere. COMMENTARY Nobody is even pretending that the TP52 Rule is the perfect answer, but given even the sniff of a good new development class, competing without complex time adjustments, and there is an almost unseemly rush underway! The early success of this new class is great news for sailors, designers and builders, but it is pretty heartbreaking to have confirmed just what might have been, several years ago, had so many well-meaning but ill-guided people of influence not fought so long to protect an outdated status quo. But that was yesterday. For today the biggest lesson of the TP52 is that we should already be looking at establishing similar simple rule parameters for boats at the smaller size scales. Kick off with a couple of comparable rules at fixed lengths of, say 28ft and 38ft, and see what happens (stay below 30ft and 40ft since the new boats will be quicker for their length than their predecessors and this will make early 'handicap' forays more fun). As far as the alluring 38ft size is concerned, well, the IMS 600 Class may look dauntingly strong because of the level of manufacturer involvement, but the manufacturers are only there to sell boats. If the market wants something else then they will move rather swiftly, methinks. And when 'measuring up' a box for the 28ft size, let's go for something with rigid cost controls that really will encourage new designers and builders. They built that fabulous and quick little Mumm 30 without draining the world of all its carbon fibre. I'm sure 10 years later it is possible for others to do the same. - Excerpt from an editorial by Andrew Hurst in the January issue of Seahorse magazine, www.seahorsemagazine.com CHANGING TIMES Remember way back when - March of this year to be exact - when Roy Disney's Pyewacket and Hasso Plattner's Morning Glory, a couple of new MaxZ86s, first squared off in what were considered really big racing boats? It's almost incomprehensible, but they are almost small boats now. For example, in this weekend's Sydney to Hobart Race, officials are expecting as many as 10 100-footers! And there are more big ones being built. As for the now relatively small 86s, Plattner, who broke off competition with Pyewacket at Cork Sailing Week in Ireland and put his boat up for sale, looks as though he may be back in the game. Morning Glory is in San Diego, and is expected to do the TransPac with Russell Coutts, Mr. America's Cup, at the helm. If it seems like big boat fever has struck the sailing world, you can't imagine what's happened in the world of motoryachts. Guys who used to cruise the world in 120-footers are being humiliated by one 200-ft+ yacht after another. Then there is Larry Ellison's recently-launched Rising Sun, which is reportedly 450 feet, making her the largest private yacht in the world. She's recently been in St. Thomas and the British Virgins. - 'Lectronic Latitude, www.latitude38.com/LectronicLat/2004/1204/1220/Dec20.html THE INTERNATIONAL RULE For the first time ever, International Metre yachts from all over the world are being brought together for an international Regatta hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes in July 2007. The event marks the centenary of the International Rule, the 1907 formula which began the growth of international yacht racing and led to the creation of some of the world's most beautiful and exciting racing yachts. At the Regatta will be the Twelve Metres, including legendary America's Cup defenders and challengers; the elegant Eight Metres; and the big Six Metre fleet will be holding their World Championships during the week immediately before the Regatta. Other Metre classes, from the single-handed 14-foot 2.4 Metre class to the mighty 120-foot J-Class, have been invited to race in the Solent. Racing will be managed by the Royal Yacht Squadron along similar lines to the highly successful 2001 America's Cup Jubilee with a combination of windward-leeward and round the buoys courses and a race round the Island designed to give exciting, safe racing for every class and level of crew. Entries will be limited to berthing available. Onshore, spectators will enjoy great race viewing (including a sailpast by these beautiful yachts), 'heritage of yacht racing' shows and lots more. The Preliminary Notice of Race is now available: www.imeta.org HEADING FOR KEY WEST? Anytime you start getting your gear together for a regatta, the first thing on your mind will be your Camet Padded sailing shorts. You may already own some, but now is the time to get on the Camet website and look at the different models and colors available. The Bermuda, Aruba, 3000, Cargo, and the new Women's Antigua shorts are all made out of the fast drying breathable Supplex (UV 40+), with the Cordura seat patch to hold the foam pad for help on those long hours on the rail. Rash guards, Coolmax shirts, Porto Cervo Shorts, etc. http://www.camet.com A NEW LEADER With the leading four boats sailing in headwinds across the Pacific Ocean, Jean Le Cam (Bonduelle) has taken the lead in the Vendée Globe non-stop round the world race for the fifth time since the start of the race. At 2000 hours on Monday, the two leaders were beating in 35 knot headwinds from a depression further up from them and are thus covering much less ground as they zigzag to the north-east. Vincent Riou (PRB) was one of the few to score less than 200 miles in the past 24 hours. Today's new leader sounded rather apprehensive about the coming days with the sighting of ice reported. The Rescue Coordination Centre in New Zealand advises that 15 large icebergs have been sighted. "It's surprising as it's not cold and the water is currently 6° (43 F), and as much as 8° (46 F) just three hours ago," Le Cam said. "It's odd that they're there. I think they must be old icebergs that have drifted there, and there presence in such temperatures must mean that they are sizeable." Leaders at 1900 GMT December 20: 1. Bonduelle, Jean Le Cam, 11,163 miles to finish 2. PRB, Vincent Riou, 18 miles to leader 3. VMI, Sébastien Josse, 254 mtl 4. Ecover, Mike Golding, 297 mtl 5. Temenos, Dominique Wavre, 1146 mtl Complete standings: www.vendeeglobe.fr/uk/ WAY TOO MUCH It's a fine line between too much and too little, and Monday morning Ellen Mac Arthur found herself with way too much. As night came, the wind moderated a bit. "Still got 40 knots of wind, and 40 foot seas, but we've gybed - it was a big one," she said. "But feel much better now heading north of east away from this system, not a great angle but it's the right thing to do. We are still being thrown around, the sea is very confused. Every few minutes my heart ends up in my mouth as I feel the boat suspended above a wave trough...then we come crashing down. At night it is something else." At 2000 hours Monday, Ellen's 75-foot trimaran B&Q was nearly 18 hours ahead of Joyon's record for a nonstop round the world passage. - www.teamellen.com/ DAUNTING TASK Team Stelmar is now heading back out into the treacherous Southern Ocean for a third time in two weeks yesterday after a second medical emergency threatened to end their participation in the Global Challenge, the round-the-world yacht race for amateur crews. The crew, skippered by professional yachtsman Clive Cosby but otherwise consisting entirely of weekend sailors and novices, confounded yachting experts by opting to continue the second, and hardest, leg of the race from Buenos Aires to Wellington. They now face a daunting 5,000-mile race against time to arrive in Wellington before Jan 23, the organizers' cut-off date if they wish to continue the race on Feb 6 when it departs for Sydney and then on to Cape Town. All the boats have to be overhauled before each leg for safety and insurance purposes and are withdrawn if this has not been completed. "Stelmar have got 35 days to complete a voyage that would ordinarily take 32 days if normal conditions prevail," said Andrew Roberts, Global's project director. "Unfortunately the Southern Ocean can throw anything at you. Normal conditions rarely exist and they must already be tired an little disheartened. "There is almost no room for error and they are now three crew members light. - Brendan Gallagher, The Daily Telegraph, http://tinyurl.com/6oj88 Event website: http://www.globalchallenge2004.com/en/ FARR 40'S, CONCORDIA'S, A HINCKLEY, AND SOME BEETLE CATS TOO… They'll all fit in the box when you order Onne van der Wal's book, Wind And Water, for that last minute gift for your sailing pals. The book is filled with over 100 amazing sailing images. Still shipping for Christmas! Hurry! http://www.vanderwal.com GROWING THE SPORT The California International Sailing Association will be sending 35 young sailors to Miami after Christmas for the annual Orange Bowl Regatta, concluding another year of promoting opportunities in the sport for boys and girls of all levels of skill and from all walks of life. CISA President Tim Hogan said, "Our purpose is to send youngsters who haven't had the experience of an out-of-town regatta to sail in a different venue against competitors they haven't seen." But that's only part of CISA's mission, which is to expand the sport by providing equipment and opportunity not only to future world-class prospects but to all teenagers, including multi-racial youth newly introduced to sailing. CISA, a non-profit organization established in 1971, offers travel grants, direct sponsorship and racing clinics. Since 1984 it has advanced more than $5 million to programs throughout the country. More than a thousand sailors benefited in 2004 alone. Unlike other nations, the U.S. has no federally supported assistance programs for its amateur sportsmen or for the development of young talent. CISA relies on contributions, large and small, from corporations and ordinary individuals. Because it is non-profit and tax-exempt, all contributions are tax deductible under section 501.c.3 of the Internal Revenue Code. The benefactors have ranged from weekend sailors to Roy E. Disney, the entertainment icon whose Pyewacket boats have been major performers in the U.S. and Europe. In 1999 Disney donated $500,000 to CISA to be spent over five years. The funds have been used to support inner-city programs, pay travel expenses to regattas and to purchase new sails for 60 CFJ dinghies used by various youth programs throughout the state. Disney's five-year contribution runs out this year, but he said, "We can say it's going to be renewed." He hopes that other dedicated sailors with the means will follow his lead. "It's so far unique, but it ought not to be," he said. www.cisasailing.org NEWS BRIEFS * 2004 Olympian Carol Cronin has been elected to represent the sport of sailing as member of the U.S. Olympic Committee's Athlete Advisory Council (USOC AAC). As the sport's representative, Cronin will represent sailing's athletes and interests to the USOC AAC. Henry Filter, who participated in the 2003 Pan American Games, was selected as the alternate. For more information, please visit http://www.ussailing.org/athletes/aac * A historical display of the last 59 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Races has officially opened at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. Made up of 59 story boards featuring photos from the archives of News Limited, the display depicts the triumphs and tragedies of Australia's premier bluewater ocean classic which is this year celebrating its 60th anniversary. Work on the display began mid-way through this year with a sub-committee of the CYCA's Archive Committee commencing the research and writing the text that accompanies each story board while News Limited started work on the photo side of the project. * The Notice of Race for the 11th Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship is now available online. This event will be held September 17-23, 2005 at the Annapolis Yacht Club in Annapolis, Md. To receive by mail the 10-page color brochure, which includes entry requirements as well as competitor information for accommodations, chartering a J/22 and the schedule of events, send an email to Taran Teague at jtteague@aol.com / www.ussailing.org/riwkc. * "Most opinion seems to be that the OzBoyz position is just an excuse for the fact that they haven't got the sponsorship act together and that in fact Yachting Australia would not have given them an exclusive, or given their name anyway. This, and the Valencia "sour grapes" story do not bode well for this challenge." - www.mariantic.co.uk/ac/six.htm#excuse *British yachtsman Tony Bullimore and his 'Team Daedalus' crew set out from Avonmouth at 3.30pm Sunday bound for Doha, Qatar, and the start of Tracy Edwards Oryx Quest 2005 around the world race starting on February 5. Bullimore's 102ft catamaran is the first of four maxi sized multihulls to be launched for the race and the tenacious skipper expects to complete the 4,000 delivery trip via Gibraltar and the Suez Canal early in January. - www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20041120164554ywnews.html NEW ENGLAND ROPES IS KEY WEST BOUND New England Ropes is pleased to announce its involvement with Premiere Racing's Key West Race Week and Miami Race Week in 2005. A Silver level Industry Partner, New England Ropes will be offering vendor support to several customers on-site and in the southern Florida area. Look for our sales team while you're down there. We can answer any questions you may have regarding running rigging for your performance sailboat. For more information about New England Ropes, call us at 800-333-6679 or visit us on the web at http://www.neropes.com 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 not 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.) * From Jeff A. Jelten: The issue is the overall decline in sailing. Yes sailors beget sailors beget racers but growing the sport from within is just break even. We could talk about how to make sailing more approachable, attractive to women and children, competitive with pastime activities that provide instant gratification. With this goal in mind we could discuss innovative methods, boats and gear. Why? When people get interested in an activity they pursue information and visual stimulation. Nautical Books, Magazines, web sites, television, and movies. Increased demand will benefit all levels of the sport exponentially. If the first experience is positive the student will desire further experience increasing the demand and availability of instruction, rental, charter, all sailing opportunities. Once a new sailor becomes proficient they desire a boat of their own triggering the bigger, better, faster cycle of buying and selling. This applies to gear as well. Economy of scale drives prices down. The more successful the experience is for women and children, the more Dads and families actively pursuing the sport. This translates to a highly energized Sport. As participation increases, sailors gravitate into racing, filling out class associations. Maybe even creating spectators. Could you imagine bleachers and TV coverage? Participation starts with throwing the ball around, or shooting some hoops. Those who are encouraged then join a team or club, and from there the possibilities are limitless. Entry level sailing programs could be the neighborhood field or court. * From Nicholas Stark - If the sign of a valuable publication is vigorous opposition debate to editorial positions, then Scuttlebutt ranks right up there near the top as a media source that is clearly helping to advance the sport of sailboat racing. I'm not sure I recall a week in which two such radical ideas as those proposed by Peter Huston and Tom Ehman have been advanced in any sailing media source. Unfortunately, it's never as important as what is said as what is perceived to have been said. I am saddened various writers feel that somehow the part of the sport they enjoy is somehow threatened by these lofty ideas. Neither writer suggesting ending the status quo, only trying additional things to help the sport grow. Former General Electric Chairman Jack Welch wrote a business book that had six rules in it - one of them was "change before you have to". Huston and Ehman probably read that book and are simply espousing that point of view in the hope the sport becomes broader and enjoyed by more people. What works now is good, and should be kept, but new ideas are needed to attract more people to the game. Kudos to Huston and Ehman for having the foresight and fortitude to stand up and make strong points knowing they will be attacked, and to do so without attacking anyone else. * From Roger Vaughan: I never had a problem about being interested in sailing as a kid. I even learned to swim in order to go sailing, a major fear for me at the time. I learned to sail at Tabor Academy Summer Program long before there were Optis. I learned in Wood Pussies with an instructor and another kid. That seemed to work fine. But one day when I was 9 years old I was last in line on the dock. The guy assigning boats ran out of both instructors and boats. Bummer. But wait, here came this old man making a perfect dock landing in what I later learned was an Herreshoff S-boat. I'd often seen him out sailing alone, and he often stopped by Tabor's dock to take kids with him. His name was Mr. Goodwin. He was in the boat business (his family is still building boats in the Marion, Massachusetts area). He asked if there was anyone left who wanted to go sailing. My lucky day. He got us away from the dock and said I should take it. What a thrill! I clenched the tiller in my fist and off we went. And he said quietly, "No no, son. Don't grab it like that. Two fingers is all you need to steer this boat." He didn't say much else, and we had a sail I'll always remember. A really kind man with a boat that performed like a dream played a significant part in hooking me on the sport for life. * From Barry Carroll: (In response to Alan Fortuney in 'Butt 1735) From the Fastnet to the Sydney-Hobart Race, sailors all over the world are racing under IRC. The reasons are simple; it works under a wide variety of wind and water conditions. It doesn't promise what it can't deliver: such as three decimal place accuracy for boats as diverse as a Concordia Yawl to a Transpac 52 over every possible range of wind and course conditions. Funny, no other rule has been able to do that either. The US can rightfully lay claim to leadership in sailing technology, and it is by far the largest market in the world. However, there are a few pretty good sailors outside the US too. Check the results from the last few America's Cup events or the past Olympics if you need a reminder. The single largest knock on IRC in the US is "Not Invented Here. There has been an unprecedented level of cooperation between the USA and the rest of the world in bringing IRC to America. US Sailing and the RORC are working closely together on this, and Alan is simply wrong about their business relationship. The Offshore Office of US Sailing is issuing all certificates for US boats. As to revenues, US Sailing collects all the fees for IRC Certificates in the US. By the way, the fact that designers and builders are getting interested in IRC only shows that their clients are too. When was the last time anybody ever mentioned new Americap designs? * From Ron "Bart" Bartkoski: With regard to Alain Fortuney's question " isn't it funny?". We import everything else into this country these days, why not a rating rule? CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. |
