Around the World of Sailing
9 January 2002
News: New Winner for Leg 3
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/ja/0109/ms.htm
You're Richard Mason a 27 year old New Zealand native sailing into your home
countries biggest city. Your bio lists the person you admire most as the late Peter Blake. You're behind one of the twin wheels of the all too high tech VOR 60 Assa Abloy. Not good enough? You're in 1st place and will score an hour plus victory over fellow Kiwi Grant Dalton and Amer Sports I.
Victorious Assa Abloy shows off red socks
İThMartinez/AsssaAbloy Electronic Image
The Kiwi theme continues as New Zealander Kevin Shoebridge manages a 3rd place by 3 minutes over illbruck. After a DNF on Leg 2 these are vital points.
Amer Sports One finishes off Auckland
İRick Tomlinson Electronic Image
News Corp. which finishes 5th only 6 minutes back then gets involved in off the water matters. The problem is that during the Sydney to Hobart race Tyco did not make a scheduled radio call to race officials. For this they were not scored in the Sydney to Hobart. The question was how this would affect their standing in the Volvo Ocean race.
Tyco slips away from illbrcuk and News Corp for 3rd place
İRick Tomlinson Electronic Image
The International Jury eventually decided that Tyco had faulty equipment that prevented the call being made in timely fashion. They gained no on the water advantage from this. So, rather than docking them the point News Corp. desired they were fined £500.00. This is the second time fines have been imposed instead of more traditional types of sailing penalties.
The boats have now raced 3 of the 9 legs. Still leading is illbruck 3 points ahead of Amer Sports I. Next is News Corp. with 16 points and then Assa Abloy with 15. Tyco sits with 12 and then SEB with 11. Next is Djuice with 10 and Amer Sports with 5.
The first 5 boats listed have chances of varying reality at being the race winner. Behind that hope goes down. SEB has now lost both of the sailors that started as watch captains indicating an unhappy program.
The fleet has several more weeks to regenerate and scheme a winning plan for the second leg across the Southern Ocean which finishes in Rio De Janeiro Brazil.
Links: Richard Mason Bio http://www.assaabloyracingteam.com/ombesattningen/besattning/crew.asp?id=34
Crew Changes
http://www.volvooceanrace.com/news/leg_3/n3_020109_humphriesoff.html
Tyco Protest
http://www.volvooceanrace.com/news/leg_3/n3_020109_tycofined.html
Assa Wins
http://www.volvooceanrace.com/news/leg_3/n3_020103_assawin.html
Djuice regroups and testshttp://dragons.djuice.com/web/index.do?a=goNews&s=_Category&i=/content/en/news/articles/297021010566590_N.xml&p=newsjambean
Theme: Roller Furling Part II
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/ja/0109/ms.htm
Last week's introductory article on headsail roller furling systems mentioned ease of installation, twin groove foils, split drums and round vs. foil shaped extrusion. This week we'll show some examples of these concepts.
Installation can be a determining factor in a purchase. The easier it is the less time you spend not on the water and the better the installation the easier the furler operates.
Here are some installation issues. One you must accurately measure your headstay from deck level to mast head. Two, if you have a rod forestay you'll need adapters. Plus the rod will have to be cut and cold headed. Also, at this stage you should look into a proper furling sail with the correct luff tape and a UV cover.
When it comes to foil shapes one choice is a round foil. Hood makes furlers with round extrusions. The round shape is stronger. Some also maintain that the round foils such as Schaefer uses help maintain sail shape.
For a more aerodynamic foil shape you might consider a Pro Furl unit. The benefits of a more aerodynamic foil include less drag and more equal performance on both tacks.
If your sailing situation involves frequent conversion from cruising mode with furling sail to racing mode without furling sail then a split drum makes this easier.
This split drum feature is found on Harken and Pro Furl. You should also consider where the sail will tack down when the drum is removed. Closer to the deck is better. While looking at a systems drum set up you can also consider whether it has the twin grooves needed for inline sail changes.
In the remaining weeks we will look at specific furlers from the companies listed below.
Links: Harken http://www.harken.com/furling/furling.php
Schaefer http://www.schaefermarine.com
Pro Furl http://www.profurlusa.com/
Hood http://www.pompanette.com
Event News: Ellen Macarthur's Future Plans
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/ja/0109/ms.htm
Last week as the opening act of the London Boat Show British Sailor Ellen
Macarthur announced her plans for the next few years. Ellen will remain with her sponsor Kingfisher an international retailer.
She will not make a return to single handed around the world racing in either the 2002 Around Alone or the 2004 Vendee Globe. Rather most of her future sailing will concentrate on multi hulls.
First, she will sail her Open 60 mono hull in the 2002 Route De Rhum and several other races.
Then next winter Ellen and a team will attempt the Jules Verne Record. This will likely be broken this winter by either Bruno Peyron catamaran or Olivier de Kersauson's trimaran.
Macarthur and her team will look to charter one of the existing Ollier designed Race class cats.
Another part of her multi hull program will be continuing to sail with Alain Gautier on his Open 60 trimaran. They will again contest the Jacques Vabre in 2003.
The ultimate goal of this program is to be fully ready for the launch of a new Open 60 trimaran which will participate in the 2006 Route de Rhum.
Additionally Ellen is one of two members of the Offshore Challenges Sailing team. The other is Australian Nick Maloney. He will sail with Bruno Peyron on Orange this winter. It is part of the Offshore Challenges teams plan to put Maloney on the start line of the Vendee Globe in a new Open 60 with his own title sponsor.
Links: http://www.kingfisher-challenges.com/uk/
http://www.offshorechallenges.com/
Event News: Plans for 2002-03 Around Alone
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/ja/0109/ms.htm
The 6th sailing of the Around Alone is becoming more and more official. The race will start 15 September from Newport RI. The first leg will be a trans atlantic one with the finish in Torbay England. This will be the first time a solo round the world race has touched England since 1968!
Leg 2 will take the fleet to Cape Town South Africa. Leg 3 will go across the Southern Ocean to a still to be determined New Zealand stop. They'll leave New Zealand in January heading to Salvador Brazil. For the first time Around Alone will have 5 legs with the final leg being to Newport RI with finishes expected mid April of 2003.
For the first time Around Alone will be scored on a points basis rather than elapsed time. However, the Around Alone's point system will be more stringent that the Volvo Ocean Race's. For instance if a boat does not finish a leg they will not receive any points. A boat can fail to finish a leg and continue in the race, but will be eligible only for leg prizes and not overall awards. Further unlike Tyco which was shipped to Australia for Leg 3 of the VOR all boats must reach the ports on their own bottom!
Rules regarding outside assistance and pit stops are also being formulated. Typically the sailors will have a situation like Yves Parlier in the Vendee Globe where no assistance is allowed. Also time penalties may apply for stops.
There will be 3 classes. Class I will be for Open 60's, Class II for Open 50's and 60's with a 3rd class for cruiser racer designs of 40 to 60 feet. Open 40's will compete for the Harry Mitchell trophy named in honor of British competitor who was lost at sea during the 1994-95 race.
To date there are 21 entries. 11 are in class one including Atlantic record holder Bernard Stamm, American Bruce Schwab, New Zealander Graham Dalton and Italian Simone Bianchetti who will sail the ex- Whirlppol.
Class II has 6 Open 50's including American's Tim Kent and Brad Van Liew. 4 Open 40's are entered including Derek Hatfield and Simon Handley from Canada.
As the start of Around Alone conflicts with the Route de Rhum many French campaigns will not compete as this is a crucial race for European sponsors.
Links: Around Alone http://www.aroundalone.com
Everest Horizontal:http://www.everesthorizontal.com
Mission America http://www.oceanracing.org/
Alan Paris http://www.aroundalone2002.com/
Bruce Schwab http://www.oceanplanet.org/
Derek Hatfield http://www.spiritofcanada.net/
|
