Around the World of Sailing

17 April 2002

News: Volvo Ocean Race Leg 6
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/ap/0417/ms.htm

The first event of any type of race is the start. The start
of Leg 6 was eventful. 6 of 8 boats were over early.
Rather than accept a 10 minute time penalty all returned and
recrossed. This left Amer Sports Too in 1st and Assa Abloy
2nd as the boats headed north with the majority already in
catch up mode.

Amer Sports Too leads Assa Abloy after the start
©Rick Tomlinson

Amer Sports Too the became the only boat to take an
alternative route out of the Gulf Stream. They sailed east
of the rest. Eventually this did not turn out with Lisa
Mcdonald saying, "The loss hit hard Monday night and we had
to change our game plan slightly to consolidate with the
others whom at this stage have spread out."

An uncertain Jacques Vincent sums up Djuice's position

Meanwhile the boats have entered the Chesapeake Bay. Other
than Amer Sports Too the boats sailed variations of a course
along the Gulf Stream route. Differences seem to be from
boat speed, things like hitting weed patches and seat of the
pants sailing in light and fluky winds.

News Corp. leads Pack A with Amer Sports One and illbruck
next. Then Assa Abloy 13 miles back. SEB and Tyco are over
100 miles back, while Amer Sports Too and Djuice are within
1 mile of each other and last place.

News Corp. which lead into the Chesapeake Bay
©Rick Tomlinson

Winds are SSW in the 10-15 knot range. Racing is close as
News Corp's Jes Fanstone describes:"15 minutes ago Amer
Sports One closed to within three boat lengths of us as they
brought up the last of the old wind." Amer Sports Dee Smith
says, "Stand by for a close finish." Current estimates, wind
steadiness pending, show an ETA of between 7 and 8 o'clock
tonight for the finish.

Links:
Position Report
http://www.volvooceanrace.com/result/position/leg_6/
Staring Chaos
http://www.volvooceanrace.com/news/leg_6/n6_020414_chaos.html
Lisa Mcdonald on the Start
http://www.volvooceanrace.com/team/atoo/email/leg_6/20020416_LMD.html

Event News: Congressional Cup
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/ap/0417/ms.htm

Peter Holmberg is currently THE MAN of the match racing
circuit- full stop. Last weekend off Long Beach California
Holmberg won his 4th Congressional Cup against a field full
of his fellow America's Cup skippers.

He went through the round robin with a record of 15-3. His
teams three losses were consecutive to Andy Green, Ken Read
and Scott Dickson. Holmberg said "It's funny, because I had
the most quiet, docile night I ever had, went running this
morning and felt great. But I will say I was out of my
groove today."

Holmberg's groove came right back as he ran off a 6 race
winning streak to end the round robin. In the semi finals
Holmberg faced Andy Green of Great Britain Challenge. He won
race 1 by 25 seconds, DNF'd in race 2 and moved to the
finals with a 19 second win having won all three starts from
Green. In the other semi Gavin Brady beat Ken Ready by 12
and then 24 seconds.

After winning the start in the first race of the final
Holmberg lost out to Brady by 15 seconds. He won the start
and the 2nd race by over a minute. In the third race
Holmberg overcame a starting line deficit to take the
regatta clinching race by 13 seconds. Holmberg said this
about the finals, "I don't think we had a brilliant day
today but the team was strong and that carried us through."
For Brady it was his 5th 2nd place in 15 months. Ken Read
topped Andy Green in the consolation sail off.

One final note, Dean Barker and Team New Zealand finished
8th with a 9-9 record. In 2000 he won this event. Lately
the results of Team New Zealand the America's Cup defender
have not been good. Is it a true loss of form or just a
different emphasis than other teams?

Links:
Holmberg Wins
http://www.lbyc.org/CCup/CC02/stories/holmberg_sweats.htm
GBR Challenge Launches Boat
http://www.gbrchallenge.com/gbr/default.asp?m=displayarticle&id=4740
Tour Standings
http://www.swedishmatchtour.com/3-Events/results.asp
Barker wins in 2000
http://www.torresen.com/sd/april00/182.htm

Theme: Fenders
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/ap/0417/ms.htm

This article is written in question and answer format. The
questions are from participants at the Torresen Marine
Docking and Docklines seminars in both 2001 and 2002.

Question: What's a good way to prevent mistakes in the
docking process?

Answer: The use of a checklist prevents mistakes. Such
a checklist might read:
A. Bow Line Rigged
B. Stern Line Rigged
C. Spring Line Rigged- All cleated to boat, not just
looped over but run through the eye so they won't
come off and coiled and ready to throw.
D. 3 fenders over at correct height.

Question: How to determine prop walk?

Answer:
Determining Prop Walk

1. Stop Boat
2. Rudder amidships
3. Shift into reverse
4. RH Prop will pull stern to port
5. Really just know which way stern goes when you reverse

Question: How to handle different wind situations?

Answer: For a crosswind, recognize which way the wind will
push you. After determining this, steer into the wind so the
effect of the pushing wind is less. Then there is a tailwind
blowing over the stern. This will tend to add speed.
You'll perhaps need to use less throttle. Also, an aft
leading spring line will serve as a second break in addition
to your reversing gear.
A headwind is perhaps the best for docking. It comes
over the bow and slows the boat. If heavy enough, you may
need to use more power to push the boat through the wind.

Question: Should I go slowly when docking?

Answer: Going slowly to avoid a hard hit against a dock
seems the logical answer. However, there is as much danger
in approaching a dock too slowly. For your rudder and keel
to aid the hull through the water you must have sufficient
speed. Just as when you sail in zephyrish conditions and the
boat won't respond to the helm, the same can happen if you
approach a dock under power at .5 knots. To take the
sometimes necessary evasive maneuvers you must have some
speed to control the boat. Remember, power and speed are
your friend!

Question:
What advice do you have for docking in the current low water
climate?
Answer: For one, keep up on the current water depths. For
another, be aware of your boats location. Try to traverse
dredged channels and fairways. Most marinas are dredging
this spring. However, don't look for the entire basin to be
a uniform depth. When entering, unless told otherwise,
stick to the center where it is typically dug the deepest.
Stay to the center of the slip. This is dug deepest so your
keel can have depth to avoid grounding.

Question: What about Docking Bridles?

Answer: These are a series of ropes strung along the sides
and front of a slip. The restrain the boat during docking.
While these maybe an aid especially in short handed
docking, they can also have detrimental effects. If you
depend on the bridle at your home slip you may develop bad
habits and have trouble handling docking without one while
cruising. Increasing your skills is preferred to using a
bridle.

Event News: Jules Verne Trophy
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/ap/0417/ms.htm

Over the weekend the race class catamaran Orange rounded
Cape Horn. Official rounding time was 1228 French time
(0628 Eastern) on Saturday the 13th. This puts them 4 days
ahead of current Jules Verne record pace. From Cape Leeuwin
off Australia to Cape Horn at the tip of South America
Orange took 12 days 19 hours. 12 of Orange's crew were up
with the exception of Herve Jan on his 7th rounding of 'Cape
Stiff/TheCorn' who slept through it.

On the day Orange rounded the Horn she put up 544 miles in
24 hours. This was the 2nd best run of the week bested only
by the 564 miles on the 11th while still in the Pacific
Ocean.

Since the Horn there has been a pair of 500+ days, one at
400 and one of 384. Currently Orange is battling through a
complex weather pattern. Two systems a low off South
America and a high pressure to the east promise some tough
upwind conditions and perhaps a slowing of progress.
Skipper Bruno Peyron says, "No salvation for us to the west.
This is why we're prolonging this long tack towards South
Africa."

May 12th is the deadline Orange is racing north up the
Atlantic.

Links:
Orange
http://www.maxicatamaran-orange.com/site/en/index2.cfm
Jules Verne Record
http://www.torresen.com/sailingrecords/jverne.htm
Cape Stiff
http://www.bobwebb.net/capehorn.html
The Corn
http://www.volvooceanrace.com/team/aone/email/leg_4/20020209_cayard_2.html
Nick Moloney
http://www.nickmoloney.com