March 2005
Records.... Francois Joyon is leaving Guadeloupe tonight or tomorrow morning (that's Wed. 30th or Thus. 31st) for New York, and expects to be there by April 5. The big trimaran will be moored in the Manhattan Sailing Club North Cove Marina, a standby period for a solo transat record beginning on April 10. Famed French navigator - weather guru Jean-Yves Bernot will be Francis's router (Bernot sailed the Whitbread, The Race with Cam Lewis, did the navigation for Mari Cha III when she broke the Atlantic record in 1998 - among many other achievements). This will be one worth watching. Jocelyn.Bleriot 3/31/05 |
How About the Heroin 50?
3/31/05 |
New Rule? Hey look, we published a press release! Now we officially suck. -Ed. Last Fall, an announcement was made regarding the formation of the Offshore Racing Association (ORA) to spearhead the development of a new handicap rule for offshore racing. As spring approaches, it is appropriate to give you an update on how that initiative, the Offshore Racing Rule (ORR), is progressing. Posted at http://www.offshorerace.org is a position paper that gives a complete explanation of the rule effort. This paper answers many of the questions that have been received over the last few months.
There has been a tremendous amount of progress on this rule initiative. ORA has been formed by the Cruising Club of America, Chicago Yacht Club and Transpacific Yacht Club. ORA has secured agreement with U.S. SAILING to take over the marketing and administration of the AMERICAP II handicapping rule. That rule has been substantially updated for 2005 with several technical improvements. Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s Cabo San Lucas Race was the first race of 2005 and by all accounts was a resounding success for a very diverse fleet of boats. There are several more events scheduled for this coming season such as the Marion-Bermuda Race, Chicago-Mackinac Race and the Transpac Race which should provide some exciting competition. Note that for the 2006 sailing season, the rule will be renamed ORR with several more technical and administrative improvements to be implemented.
There has been a good deal of debate regarding rating rules, particularly the proper application of simple rules such as PHRF and IRC versus a full measurement rule such as ORR. Many of these questions are addressed in the position paper.
If you have questions regarding ORR, please email us at mail@offshorerace.org. 3/31/05 |
Lift Off
This great shot by Sharon Green at the Hobie Tiger Cat Worlds currently taking place in Santa Barbara, Ca. See story further down the page. 3/30/05 |
Just A Girl Your Editor has been quoted about Ellen MacArthur's phenomenal single handed around the world record in this week's Newsweek magazine. Jeez, who knew the "legitimate" press would turn to a douche like me for info? I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with the the author, a very nice Susannah Meadows and lo and behold there we are. Its not much, but we're glad for the recognition. 3/28/05 |
Have A Hobie....Week! How cool is it that a Hobie 33 won the 600 mile Newport to Cabo race against a very solid fleet that included msxi sleds, TP 52's and a slew of very quick 40, 50, 60, and 70 footers? Way cool. What is kind of funny is that The Ed talked to the owner, Simon Garland from SDYC, about a possible partnership a couple of months back. Good thing Simon didn't do it - it would have been the kiss of death! We thought it would be interesting to hear how they pulled off the win, so we'll have an Innerview up from very soon. 3/28/05 |
Extended
This superb shot of the new Greg Elliot-designed 100' Maximus kinda shows how the crew must feel sporting around on this big bad boy. The boat looks great, but some early reports say the boat is "nothing special." Hmmmm. We'll see, we've got an Innerview with Greg coming up shortly. Photo courtesy of Paul Todd, Outside Images NZ LTD 23-Mar-2005 |
Yo Ho, Ho
3/22/05 |
As
usual, we were right again. Months ago we told you that we heard
Disney was going to sponsor a VOR entry and indeed they are,
in a big way. To advertise the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean
movie sequel, Disney is sponsoring the Record Run The Andrews 80' Magnitude should have broken the elapsed time record for the Newport to Cabo Race by the time you read this. Projected to have finished last night, but the NHYC site does not have an update as of yet. Check in to see the latest. 3/22/04 |
Sunscreen, Anyone?
Apparently it is not warm and sunny everywhere.here's a little glimpse at how the other half lives... You show a lot of pictures from warm and nice places. However that is not the case up here in Scandinavia at the moment. That does not stop everyone. Here is a cool picture of the BM-Sails carbon mast testing team before going out and testing the new Carbon masts for the Flying Dutchman. ( Two of the members are Jørgen Bojsen-Møller and Jacob Bojsen-Møller, Olympic gold, bronze and loads of world championships ) . The rule has been changed so now Carbon masts are allowed.
With kind regards 3/20/05 |
Lawsuit, Anyone? Apparently much less concerned with building good sails and rebuilding their tarnished reputation, Sobstad appears to be happier to sue sailmakers that they have had decade long agreements with. Here are copies (1, 2) of their recent legal action against UK Sailmakers. 3/21/05 |
Carnage, Anyone?
Merlin was dismasted shortly after the start yesterday. Early in the afternoon Alchemy was holed and started taking on water. CG responded to mayday call and took over. Early this morning, Genuine Risk advised by VHF she had a problem with her keel and was withdrawing. The Genuine Risk program has got to be considered a major disappointment. A dropped rig while in the Great Lakes, much crew upheaval, pulling out of the Puerto Vallarta race for suspect reasons and now DNF'ing in this one. Might more heads roll? (Picture Scout Spirit courtesy NHYC) 3/20/05 |
Geez,
see what happens when it blows 20 in SoCal? Here is the report
from Aboard Alaska Eagle on the first day of the A 10?
No, actually a 6.5 as in Open 6.5. We think it is very cool and a great concept. Certain to take off in Europe, but does it have a prayer over here? 3/18/05 |
Dominator
It is not possible to heap enough praise on the boys of Orange. They say records are meant to be broken, but we reckon this one won't be any time soon. 3/17/05 |
Pack It In Yesterday we ran a blurb about a poor guy getting his primo IOM R/C boat (and we mean primo, we've seen it and it was one of the nicest IOM's ever) getting smashed courtesy of some dunderhead cargo handlers with American Airlines. See Speaking of Crushed below. Here's some pretty interesting inside info from an Anarchist. Enjoy. Sorry to hear about Jeff's boat, I used to do loss control work for United Airlines. They have denied his claim due to poor packing which is their usual ruse. He could get a marine surveyor to examine the packing and offer a written opinion of the packing but this is a double edged sword - if the packing is flimsy airline claims are based on a per pound liability, the boat doesn't weigh anything so he gets nothing, or just a couple of $$ in the future. Jeff and anyone shipping valued goods by air should pay the extra $$ and have it shipped "value declared", its a option on the air way bill of lading. Valued cargo gets special handling. You made a joke but are right, you should pack anything shipped by air or sea with the idea that a truck will run over it. The boat looks like they dropped it off the conveyor belt at the cargo door to the plane. A form fitted reusable crate or ABS plastic valise is the way to go, you wrap the rc boat in a garbage bag, spray some foam into a box and before it setup you put the model in, then foam the whole thing like a tomb. After it set up, slice it down the middle like a loaf of bread and you have a foam fitted case. Trim the outer edges to fit your shipping container and you are good to go. Also do not ship if possible with any of the large carriers, they are all nearly bankrupt and don't have anyone that really gives a shit. Would you if your pay was cut 30% and all your retirement and benefits were going down the drain! Ship Southwest or Jet Blue if possible, also Fed Ex or UPS and leave it hold for pick up. You should always check the crate BEFORE you sign for it. At this point Jeff could get some money from his home owners policy. Shipping yachts: I have shipped high value racing yachts around the world by ship and air, you should always ask from your insurance broker for a ALL RISK cargo policy this takes care of every event and you don't have to deal with a carrier in any case. Bruce in S.F. 3/17/05 |
Orange Crushed
3/16/05 |
Maiden Trouble? We are hearing numerous reports about a canting keel ram failure and canard rudder problem on the new 115' Maiden Hong Kong. Big surprise. 3/16/05 |
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3/16/05 |
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Beautiful Day
The first day ay Miami Race Week. Photo of Sjambok courtesy Rick Tomlinson. 3/11/05 |
Rocking
We finally got out on the water and what a boat! The Rocket is an amazing machine. The testing was all that we had hoped for and then the race on Sunday was even better. Hollywood could not have given us a better debut for the Rocket. We were so far in front it was insane and in a 40 plus fleet only a Farr ILC 40 and an IMS Farr 48 finished ahead of us. I was on a support Boston Whaler and just watching everyone watch the Rocket was great. We had a new owner out on the water with us and now have sold 3 with 3 more orders pending. - Here is the full race report. Rocket Boats. 3/11/05 |
Nutter
3/10/05 |
Olympian
Michael Blackburn yesterday completed the 117 mile journey across
the often treacherous Bass Strait - in a Laser! He had good
breeze and nice sized waves - top speed recorded was 19.7 knots.
It took 13 hours for the trip, had a chase boat along, and managed
to get there in one piece and put himself right in the record
books. Nicely done. Crazy, but nicely done.Another One Down This time it is a rig. Cheyenne dismasted when a lower shroud broke resulting in the mast breaking. No injuries are reported and they are planning to get towed into port. Another bummer and another strike against the Oryx Quest 2005. 3/10/05 |
| Caption Contest
1st
Place: Mr. Happy 2nd
place: ACK758
3rd place: Warped Sol 3/10/05 |
No Rummy
3/10/05 |
Prada Lives!
In another SA exclusive, we caught Prada sailing in the same water as illbruck (see below). Speculation abounds now about the resurrection of this campaign for '07.... 3/9/05 |
| Booted Last week we ran the story about an unhappy yacht club situation (see SWYC S-Fight below). We just learned that the protest was heard today and ruled in favor of SWYC. That means the sailor in question is banned from SWYC for a year and also cannot sail in any SWYC events. A bummer for sure, but the lesson is that YC's are private clubs, can pretty much do what they want, and bad behavior is usually not tolerated. Having said that, I've often felt that SWYC is a less than stellar club, with some marginal sailors, races and race management. This encounter took place after a horribly long protest hearing, one that ended in a questionable decision and the combination of tired, pissed off sailors, long delays, and our friend alcohol often results in Bad Times. SWYC has, in part, themselves to blame for this, and the end result of kicking a sailor out for a year is again, in our opinion, another bad decision. - Ed. Addendum - It has been pointed out to me that SWYC has provided race management services for two Louis Vuiton Series - 1992 and 1995, and has a 2004 Lipton Cup Champion team, 2004 Olympic contender, among others - all good. And I have (make that had) friends that are fine people at SWYC, however, my opinion remains that SWYC is not a top tier club and that the incident was not handled well. 3/9/05 |
illbruck Lives!
Here is the first picture of the former German AC boat illbruck sailing. TNZ now has control of the boat and so far are quiet about he boats' performance. It is cool that they kept the German sail number and color scheme. 3/8/05 |
"Say, Is That An IOR Boat?"
Naw, just an owner struggling to keep his Farr 40 from doing a great imitation of one! Photo from Andrea Francolini at the Farr 40 Worlds won by Richard Perini's Evolution over Aussie Neville Crichton on Shockwave. Both teams finished tied with 66 points with perini winning the tiebreaker. TWT, sailed by Marco Rodolfi finished a mere point behind them. Good stuff. 3/7/05 |
| Can You Relate? You know we are big supporters of disabled sailors, in no small part because of the fact that our very own Dawg is one himself. This story comes courtesy of the Florida Sun-Sentinel. -Ed. By Shannon O'Boye The skipper called out instructions in Italian to his crew as he maneuvered his catamaran out of Miami Beach Marina. Once beyond the channel, the sail went up, the engine was killed and the big boat began to make way under wind power alone. Andrea Stella has carried out the same routine dozens of times in the past few months. But for Sue Driller, a physical therapist at Broward General Medical Center, it was an extraordinary moment. When she first met Stella in the hospital more than four years ago, he couldn't even sit up. Stella
was shot in the back by robbers in Fort Lauderdale while vacationing
here in August 2000. He lay near death for more than a month.
After doctors saved his life, Driller had to teach him how to
live without the use of his legs. 3/7/05 |
New and Newer
3/7/05 |
We're
happy to tell you the new SA
| Ice Queen?
Of course not - It is a New England tribute to Ellen MacArthur courtesy of one our faithful readers. 3/7/05 |
| Better Days
Geronimo, looking much better before they pulled out of the Oryx Quest, with damage to the trimaran's front crossbeam, the second such problem they encountered in this race. This great photo courtesy of Rick Tomlinson. 3/4/05 |
1249 That's how many of you signed up to take the UK Rules Quiz. Butch Ulmer is stoked, so are we, and a big thanks to all of you who support our advertisers! 3/4/05 |
ChoateFloat
This is what the new Tim Kernan designed and Choate built west coast 70' is going to look like. Funny to say that a 70' seems small, but compared to the 78', 80', 86' and 90's they'll be racing against out here, it does. 3/3/05 |
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Woo-wee - we love a good shit fight, and there is one brewing at Southwestern YC here in Dago! We don't know any of the people involved, but did manage to get copies of the correspondence that is flying back and forth between the participants. Basically SWYC has banned a racer, Rick Value, from their club for a year for alleged post race bad behavior, which Value denies. Value protested, SWYC refused to hear it, and now Value is appealing to US Sailing for help. Can't be long until the lawyers get involved! Click on the respective letters below if you are interested. Letter
from SWYC banning Value 3/3/05 |
Ripped Off We we informed that Scuttlebutt published one of our AC pieces, without crediting us of course. Oh wait, they credited the source that they took it from, some lame ass pome site, but failed to notice that the lame ass pome site stole it from us. Pathetic. But when all you do is steal, er, use other people's material, and do virtually no source checking, I suppose that's what you get. And please - to the son of the guy who owns Scuttled, don't e-mail me again, just do a better job with the "digest." 3/3/05 |
SA WORKS
Well we don't but our classifieds do. Reader Mark Moten listed
his Mumm 36 in our classified section and it sold in less
than a week. Want to really sell it?
3/3/05 |
Out In the race that few seem to care about, there is even one less reason to care: Geronimo, Olivier de Kersauson's big multi has officially retired from the Oryx Quest. Bummer. 3/3/05 |
Cool Daddy
Pretty cool, eh? Of course it is. It is Sailing Anarchy, isn't it? Courtesy PhotoSails. 3/2/05 |
Farr
40 Worlds Good racing and some wild weather are keeping things interesting at the Farr 40 worlds in Australia. With three races counted, the Australian Farr 40 Champion and Mumm 30 World Champion Richard Perini is first, Matt Allen second sailing Ichi Ban and Hasso Plattner's Morning Glory in third. Picture courtesy Andrea Francolini. 3/2/05 |
| On
The Block 3/2/05 |
