Around the World of Sailing

6 March 2002

This weeks features:

Finish Line

Djuice Dragons sports a quite international crew for Leg 5.
Sailors from 6 countries will be onboard, topped by 4 French
sailors out of 12.

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

Difference from Chart Datum -3
Difference from last month 0
Difference from last year +6
Difference from long term average for March -16
Difference from Record High -46
Difference from Record Low +15
Forecast for 1 April 2002 +1

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

Winter Effects: 12 Month Port/Snow Fall Abnormal
	Typically a visit to the US Coast Guard 9th
districts web page this time of year brings a lot of
ice breaking info.  This year there is only a little
icebreaking occurring mainly in the St. Mary's River.
	Here in Muskegon the warm winter weather has
turned Muskegon Harbor into a 12 month port.  When the
447 foot Paul H. Townsend docked at the  Le Farge cement
dock it meant Muskegon had ships visits in 12 straight
months.
	Typically there is a pause in the commercial
shipping season. Round about December or January the
last ship visits.  Then in February or March the first
ship enters the harbor.
	This shipping season began 18 March 2001 when
the Joseph L. Block visited the Cobb plant to deliver coal.
	When it occurred to me that Muskegon city of
the supposedly frozen north had become at least for
a year a 12 month port I thought it quite rare.  Initial
conjecture led me to think it would have been since the
1970's.  However, Scott Golin a keen Muskegon port watcher
informed that  this was not so.  He said, "The 1998-1999
season went from Jan. 98 until Feb. 99, 12 months. only
11 month seasons since then, until this year of course."
	It seems the recent string of mild winters have
contributed to year round port business in Muskegon more
often than I thought.
	More proof that things have been un winter like
comes via way of Kalamazoo.  From Kalamazoo comes word
that they have gone over 100 inches of snow for the first
time in consecutive winters.  Meanwhile Muskegon receiver
of lake effect snow has a mere 44 inches, down from last
winters 79.  Normal snowfall for Muskegon is 114 inches.
Kzoo's typical annual snowfall is 69.7 inches.  So,
Kalamazoo is 31 inches over normal snowfall, Muskegon
lags 60 inches behind.
	As we enter spring let's hope the nice conditions
prevail as we begin to sail.
******************
Shackleton Award?
	While it is a good thing that a company like A&E
TV wants to associate itself with sailing, it isn't a
perfect thing.  A&E will be presenting a mini series on
British Explorer Ernest Shackleton.  As a polar history
buff, no doubt Shackleton's story deserves to be told.
	Where the problem comes in is A&E's sponsorship
of the Shackleton award at the upcoming Acura SORC Regatta.
One crew will win the award for showing leadership and
selflessness similar to Shackleton during his epic.
	The problem is that Shackelton didn't wake up in
a hotel bed, drive to the marina, sail around buoys within
sight of land all while wearing Gore Tex and an inflatable
PFD.  While the box lunches may look like seal meat,
Shackleton ate seal meat.
	Sure, it's great that A&E is helping to promote
sailing.  What isn't good is that the award doesn't
truly honor Shackelton.
	If A&E wants to give a Shackleton award they
should pair up with a race such as the Volvo Ocean race
that actually crossed Shackleton territory, the Southern Ocean!
******************
Tight Lipped AC Teams
	The America's Cup is to sailing as the rich are
to society- they're different than you and me.  Recently
there's been a spate of newspeak heavy denials going around.
	On March 28th Team Dennis Conner suffered a
dismasting during training off California.  The teams
media manager would neither comment on the cause of the
dismasting nor state if it was the teams new IACC boat
or training boat that was affected.
	On March 1st a statement was posted on the team
web site signed by Dennis Conner.  Here it was stated
that it was the new boat IACC 66 that lost her mast.
One wonders why the initial denial was better.
	Still, they are the only IACC team off California
and so may want to gain some sort of secrecy advantage.
	The more bizarre occurrence came in New Zealand.
The race committee that will run the upcoming challenger
series racing needed some practice. So the challengers
(most of them) consented to race (sort of).  From the start
it was stated "No formal results service will be run for
this unofficial event."  Fragmented reports came in of
certain teams being aggressive in the prestart, Russell
Coutts still being the master came in- unofficially of course.
	One report read, "Due to the unofficial nature
of the event the identity of the winner of this outstanding
race cannot be disclosed."  Yet photographers were on the
course snapping pictures.  By the way all teams sailed
prior generation boats meaning that even if the results
were official they would likely be quite meaningless.
No worries the AC folks preempted this possibility and
put their own spin on meaningless.