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Around the World of Sailing

3 April 2002

Finish Line

Currently college sailing's spring season is under way with teams working towards the spring championships.  Harvard is currently the # 1 ranked co-ed team.  They are led by Senior Sean Doyle who was 6th at last years dinghy championships.  St. Mary's is the # 1 women's team.  Sophomore CAITLIN McCABE and junior Jamie Smith are team captains.  Coming up this weekend are a pair of team racing regattas at Tufts and Yale.  On the west coast St. Francis Yacht Club hosts a 20 team regatta including 10th ranked Hawaii.

Water Level Update

Weekly Water Level Update
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/oc/1024/frw.htm

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

Reference Point
Difference from Chart Datum -1
Difference from last month +2
Difference from last year +9
Difference from long term average for April -14
Difference from Record High -44
Difference from Record Low +17
Forecast for 29 April 2002 +4

Rowing Reporter

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.
****************

Bermuda Triangle Explained
	The Bermuda triangle is the area encompassed by
Bermuda, Miami, Fla., and San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Many
ships and planes have mysteriously lost in this area.
Any number of theories have been developed to explain
this.
	A new theory having to do with density, methane gas
and bubbles may give the Bermuda triangle a scientific
explanation.
	Under the waters of the triangle lie pockets of
methane gas.  When released the gas would form bubbles
and move to the surface.
	If there was enough bubbles in the water the
density of the water could be lowered enough for it
to sink.  For as Archemedes pointed out for a ship to
float the water's density must be greater than the ships.
	Just off the coast of the Carolina's lay huge
methane deposits. They represent the worlds largest
possible fossil fuel source.  Except they are too deep
for current technologies to extract.
	Explosions of methane gas could also affect
aircraft.  When the gas reaches the surface it affects
air currents which could create fatal turbulence.
	There are other possible explanations for the
areas troubled reputation.  One reason could be the
enormous amount of compass variation in the area.  A
navigator unaware of this error could get fatally
off course.
	Another possible factor is the Gulf Stream current.
This ever changing current can have many affects.  For
instance a north wind that opposes the current can grow
huge steep waves.
	It is likely some combination of all these factors
that cause the unexplained disappearances, or another factor
not yet considered.
*****************
SEB Protest Decision
	Once again there has been a strange protest decision
in the Volvo Ocean race.  The first one came after leg one
and concerned illbruck.  For the first decision see the
Rowing Reporter at
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2001/no/1107/frw.htm
	This most recent decision came about after SEB on
port tack collided with illbruck on the 1st day of Leg 5.
There was damage to SEB's bow and to illbruck's port
quarter.  After the collision SEB performed a 720°
penalty turn.
	The mere fact that a port/starboard incident
occurred during a many thousand mile leg was surprising.
SEB has since admitted confusion between the bowman and
helmsman.  However, they have identified neither.
	At the time illbruck's John Kostecki commented,
"is a 720-degree penalty turn enough of a penalty for such
a foul? I don't think so."  Then the leg continued with
illbruck 2nd, SEB 4th ahead of News Corp and Amer Sport I.
At leg's end illbruck had little incentive to protest and
give their competitors a bonus in the standings.
	Still the Volvo Ocean Race committee saw fit to
protest SEB.  They were protested for doing 'serious damage'
to their own boat.  Essentially the argument was that could
a boat be seriously damaged and finish 4th?  The jury
concluded that there was no serious damage to SEB and
disallowed the protest.
 	Another strange decision by a jury.  It must be
noted that the  composition of this jury was different than
the one in Cape Town.
	At one point in sailing history a port tack collision would
have meant you automatically withdrew.  Now the rules have
morphed into as long as you can keep sailing no real harm
down.  Further on a nearly 3 week leg all the penalty you
must incur is a couple of minutes of sailing in circles,
time easily made up.  The juries were different, but equally
lenient!
*************
Words for a Picture
	Recently in Blue Water Sailor I saw an interesting
picture.  Holding a tiller extension and looking intense was
Brad Van Liew, in conversation were Josh Hall and J.P.
Mouligne.  Van Liew had tennis shoe style boat shoes on,
Mouligne wore traditional leather boats shoes, Hall was bare
footed.
	They were sailing a leg of the Atlantic Challenge on
Hall's Open 60 monohull.  They all competed in the 1998-99
Around Alone.  They've all sailed around the world solo and
have had a variety of experiences since the finish in
Charleston.
 	Van Liew sailed Balance Bar to 3rd place in Class II
in 1998-99. Balance Bar is slated for it's 3rd Around Alone
to be sailed by Canadian Duncan Gladman.
   	Van Liew will return for his 2nd Around Alone again
in class 2.  He will be sailing the Finot designed Open 50
sailed by Mike Garside last Around Alone.
 	Hall has continued on with his Finot Open 60 Gartmore.
Unlike most current Open 60's it has a traditionally stayed
mast and a fixed keel.
	In it Hall completed the Vendee Globe sailing the
world solo and non stop.  This after several aborted globe
circlings including 1998-99 Around Alone due to a Leg 3
dismasting.
	Other outings have not been so successful although
sailed by Javier Sanso and Eric Dumont Hall's 60 finished
4th in this falls Jacques Vabre.
	Mouligne was the most successful of the three in
Around Alone. Sailing Cray Valley a Finot Open 50 he won
3 of 4 legs and the Class II title.
	Mouligne a French native, now living in the US,
attempted to raise funds for an Open 60 campaign for the
upcoming Around Alone.  Despite his success he was not
successful.
	Meanwhile Cray Valley sailed the two handed Jacques
Vabre trans as Setrabio.  She finished 3rd.
	Mouligne transitioned into family and shore side
life.  He now operates a business Z-Clad distributing SP
Systems composite technology in the USA.