 |
|
Links to Torresen.com Home Page: Subscribe to ATWO
Around the World of Sailing
28 March 2001
Finish Line
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/sd/0328_frw.htm
Ken Read, skipper of Team Dennis Conner match racing, and his
tactician Terry Hutchinson have a common bond. Read won the Everett B.
Morris Trophy as college sailor of the year in 1982 while at Boston
University. Hutchinson won it in 1989 and 1990 while at Old Dominion
University.
Rowing Reporter
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/sd/0328_frw.htm
The Rowing Reporter is a weekly column of commentary and
observations by Ike Stephenson, Marine Informationist. It
concentrates on the home waters of Around the World of Sailing, Lake
Michigan and Muskegon Lake.
**********
The State of Sailing
Sailing: traveling on the water via wind acting on sails is a
many faceted activity. It is global and local, inexpensive or costly,
intense and relaxing. This is the first in a series of pieces that
will provide infobits and commentary on the current state of sailing.
We'll begin with some numbers taken from current sail racing
news. 326 entries at this years Key West Race Week. 3-5 Admirals Cup
teams. No teams from the defending champion (Netherlands), America's
Cup Holder (New Zealand) or the USA. 116 Farr 40 One Designs sold to
date. Volvo Ocean race 7 entries, The Race 6. The Vendee Globe 24
and the last Around Alone had 13 entries.
What do these numbers say about racing? It looks like there is a
bit of a pyramid affect. Key West Race week, which has a broad range
of competitors from amateurs to America's Cup sailors, had record
participation. The Admirals Cup which started in 1957 and has been
considered the world championship of offshore sailing is having
trouble holding a regatta.
Professional/elite events like the Vendee Globe, Volvo Ocean
Race and Around Alone show mixed signs. The Vendee Globe was the
biggest and most competitive ever. The coming Volvo Ocean race is a
smaller fleet, but all well funded professional teams.
The Race had 6 entries. It provided spectacular sailing that
was well received by the public. The Race has spawned a new class that
may end up as a tremendous promotional vehicle for sailing.
The Farr 40 class shows a prominent trend. This is one design
racing in keel boats rather than center boarders. Still, 116 boats is
not many in our mass production era. It serves as an ego cap for
racing sailors showing that sailing is much more than intense racing.
The Admirals Cup resides at the upper, narrow and pointy end
of the sail racing pyramid. Here the sailors are better, participation
costs more and the stakes higher. With a finite supply of compatible
interests, events of this nature are a touchy thing to organize.
The current state of racing may not be pleasing to all.
However, it seems the base is healthy and the tip of the pyramid is
being rearranged in a professional and interesting way.
**************
Rowing Reporter Interactive- The Rowing reporter seeks
comments, questions and suggestions. Send email in a bottle to
ike@torresen.com. If readers write we can start a dialogue about
rowing reporter writing. Send challenges, remarks, queries and they
will make you a part of this column.
*************
Michigan Weather
While living in Michigan, describing and surviving the weather
is a never ending process. If you're a slogan or jingle writer the
climate here can provide endless possibilities. My entry from the
past week is this: Michigan- Rake Leaves on Friday, Shovel Snow on
Sunday.
Muskegon experienced the very definition of a cold snap with a
sudden spell of inclement weather. Twice last week the high
temperature was 55°, even Friday was a day of above freezing conditions.
By Sunday it was down to a low of 13° and 4 inches of snow.
Then Monday, a low of 10° and 3 more inches of snow.
From the meteorological coincidences here's the weekend's low
temperatures showed the following pattern: Friday 33°, Saturday 23° and
Sunday 13°.
This cold snap did not deter optimistic sailors. This week we
launch our first boats.
What might they expect on their first weekend afloat? The
record high is 80° set on March 31, 1981. The record low is 7° set
March 30, 1954. So, they'll have somewhere between below freezing to
"where's the shade" temperatures.
****************
Local Notice to Mariners
Lansing Shoal Lighthouse NW of Beaver and Garden Island in
northern Lake Michigan is once again in light extinguished status.
The light was also inoperable for a period last fall.
Another correction to the Coast Pilot 6 is of interest to
those in the Rowing Reporter's home area. The correction is to page
258 paragraph 295.
The correction states that in Grand Haven, "the controlling
depths were 11.5 feet (21.0 feet at mid channel) in the entrance and
between the piers to the docks of the municipal marina." Further,
"A 3.5 foot shoal extends about 60 feet into the channel on the W side
directly across from the municipal marina in about 43°04'00 86°14'11"
An item to note in what should be another low water summer.
**************
Link of the Week
Here's an interesting and humorous site passed on by Karen
Larsen of Good Old Boat Magazine. The site is at:
http://www.gpcprop.com/Dingofthemonth.htm and is sponsored by General
Propeller Company of Florida. A particularly nice ding was featured
in January. See this at: http://www.gpcprop.com/images/JanDing.jpg
Weekly Water Level Update
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/sd/0328_frw.htm
Here is an informative feature that used to appear in the Friday
edition of Sailing Daily. Below you'll find water level info that
pertains to Lake Michigan and Huron. For information on other lakes
see http://huron.lre.usace.army.mil/levels/weekly.html
Weekly Water Level Update
Reference Point Inches below Chart Datum - 9
Difference From 23 February 2001 0
Difference from 23 March 2000 -5
Difference from long-term Avg. -23
Difference from Record High -53
Difference from Record Low +8
Forecast for 23 April 2001 +3