scott.projectsomewhere

The 2005 JJ
Giltinan finally wound up yesterday - and our regatta ended up
pretty much where it started.

The last three heats really hurt our score overall, with a DSQ in
Race 5, a broken pole in Race 6, and an OCS/restart in Race 7. Not
a good way to end the series.

I guess we were lucky to finish the event at all with the boat
falling apart in the first few days - and continuing to fall apart
during the regatta. You could say we had poor boat preparation, but
then you could throw thousands and thousands at re-rigging our
boat, and we might improve a few places - but then we’d still be
mid-fleet.

This year was one of (if not the) closest regattas in the history
of the event. 6 different winners from 7 races, and the top 4 boats
within 2 points. The overall regatta result changed several times
throughout the last race, with Euan sneaking through a few boats
thanks to the Harbour traffic on the last run.

There were plenty of situations in the last race where the result
could’ve gone the other way - but I guess there’s a thousand other
situations through the event that could’ve made the final
difference as well.

But full credit to Euan,
Seve & Tim. Well sailed. The conditions suited their
lightweight and big-big rig, but then they did put in a huge amount
of preparation and are the only Australian team who do pretty much
nothing but sail, and sail 18 footers.

The top 11 boats were all either brand new, or special ala RMW. A hard bunch to crack. Its also
pretty amazing to see Olympic and Americas Cup sailors battling
it out in mid-fleet.

So what’s next? Seve is off to go match-racing through Europe,
probably taking Euan as a tactician. Rob from RMW is off to the do
the Volvo with
ABN Amro(?), Nick is off for
a 3 month trial with OracleBMW in Valencia.

Who will buy the $500k licence to enter F1sail? What will Shark do with RMW
and the other new boats he bought this week? How will Club Marine
and Rag n Famish go with new boats next season? What’s next for
us?

We’ll just have to wait and see how things play out I guess… but
for now it’s back to work.

Final results below… with a few errors. Asko was DNF in Race 6.
CST scored 1 point for Heat 7 instead of a 16. Most of the other
points don’t add up… but hey…

Skiff Name
Skipper
Cty
H 1
Ht 2
H 3
H 4
H 5
H 6
H 7
Tot Pts
Dis Pts
Final Pts
Final Standing

Club Marine
Euan Mc Nicol
AUS
5
13
3
1
2
4
9
37
13
24
1

Asko Appliances
Hugh Stodart
AUS
2
2
10
5
1
9
5
54
29
25
2

RMW Marine
Rob Greenhalgh
UK
8
6
1
4
6
8
1
34
8
26
3

Rag & Famish Hotel
John Harris
AUS
1
3
4
6
8
6
6
34
8
26
4

Team Pegasus
Howie Hamlin
USA
9
7
6
3
11
2
7
45
11
34
5

Casio Seatpathfinder
Michael Coxon
AUS
11
11
2
7
12
3
2
48
12
36
6

Computer Associates
Anthony Young
AUS
7
1
5
12
3
DNF
10
67
29
38
7

Omega Smeg
Daniel Phillips
AUS
17
5
11
2
10
11
4
58
17
41
8

Maytag
Tony Hannan
AUS
4
8
7
9
7
7
12
54
12
42
9

Ssangyong Yandoo
John Winning
AUS
24
4
13
18
5
1
8
73
24
49
10

AAPT
Sean Langman
AUS
3
22
8
OCS
4
10
3
78
29
49
11

CT Sail Battens
Phil Airey
NZL
12
17
9
8
14
5
13
78
17
61
12

Fisher & Paykel
Andrew Cuddihy
AUS
14
9
14
10
9
14
11
79
14
65
13

Belle Property
Micah Lane
AUS
6
15
DSQ
16
20
12
22
118
29
89
14

SX Projects
Matt Felton
AUS
23
14
12
14
16
DNF
14
122
29
93
15

Panasonic
John Winning Jnr
AUS
21
12
*
11
21
19
19
114.33
*
93.33
16

Team Morrison
Peter Morrison
AUS
19
18
22
13
17
13
21
121
22
99
17

Pegasus Racing
Shark Kahn
USA
15
26
20
21
15
18
17
130
26
104
18

GP Covers
Flemming Clausen
DEN
26
16
19
19
18
17
20
133
26
107
19

CST Composites
Chris Dixon
AUS
25
19
17
26
29
16
16
133
29
107
20

Churchill’s Sports Bar
John Sweeny
AUS
10
10
18
22
29
26
24
137
29
108
21

Barron & Smithers
Peter Barton
UK
20
21
21
23
13
23
15
134
23
111
22

Adtec Communications
Jeremy Sharp
AUS
13
DNF
23
15
23
22
18
141
29
112
23

Fat Face
Tim Penfold
UK
16
23
16
24
22
15
25
139
25
114
24

Rosemount
Chris Skinner
NZL
18
24
15
17
24
20
23
139
24
115
25

Avaya
Chad Freitas
USA
22
20
24
20
29
21
27
161
29
132
26

Team Mclean
Steve Mc Lean
UK
27
25
25
27
25
25
28
180
28
152
27

CST Switzerland
Chris Rast
SUI
DNF
27
DNF
25
19
24
26
187
29
158
28

Maybe the title is talking it up a bit, but it a bit like that when
it comes to the ongoing vendetta that Pomfret seems to have against
us in the 18s.

Why? no idea.

Maybe its an insecurity thing. I mean an unsponsored 30 year old
coming last must be pretty disappointing. Maybe its that we made
the Worlds cut and he didn’t. Maybe its a lack of self-awareness
about one’s place in the scheme of things.

Anyway, he and his helm (the bowman is actually friendly) decided
to take us to a protest yesterday about a water incident on the
first work. There was no collision, but we both had to take
avoiding action. The blind bloke even went so far as to accuse me
of lying in the protest - and for the life of my I can’t remember
the last time I’ve been called a liar by anyone.

So we were disqualified… a bit of a joke really… embarassing to
be blown out by someone who finished the race 2nd last.

Oh well… what can you do.

Now its a race for 14th between SX, Herman, Belle and us. All
separated by 4 points. The Championship within the Championship
continues tomorrow.

Lucky there’s a layday today - I am truly destroyed after 7 days of
sailing, early starts at work and late nights. Last night didn’t do
me any favours… All the 18 guys (well except for those that
aren’t really part of the class - guess?) got together in North
Sydney for Jack’s 40th… ouch.

Overall results below… before the DSQ takes effect.

Asko Appliances
20

Rag & Famish Hotel
22

Club Marine
24

RMW Marine
25

Computer Associates
28

Maytag
35

Team Pegasus
36

Casio Seapathfinder
43

Omega Smeg
45

Fisher & Paykel
56

CT Sail Battens
60

Ssangyong Yandoo
64

AAPT
66

Churchill’s Sports Bar
76

SX Projects
80

Belle Property
87

Team Morrison
90

Pegasus Racing
97

Barron & Smithers-Henri Lloyd
98

GP Covers
99

Rosemount
99

Fat Face Clothing
102

Adtec Communications
104

Avaya
115

CST Composites
116

CST Switzerland
130

Team Mc Lean
130

Panasonic
Avg Pts

Reading a bit more about Philippe Kahn and what he’s doing for
sailing in the US - you’ve got to wonder… what if we had
someone like that in Australia?

Amazing…

Our results in the JJ are going up and down - not so much a
rollercoaster but more a slow ferris wheel… I just hope the ride
doesn’t stop at the bottom!

We’ve had pretty ordinary races in heats 3 and 4. Ordinary to say
the least.

Heat 3 saw Herman (John Winning Jnr) hook up with us in the
pre-start. His leeward wing was over our windward, we bore away and
capsized - lifting his boat out of the water with our foils as we
went over. In the end it tore some nice big holes in his boat - but
did no visible damage to ours. By the time we started the race the
fleet was 3 or 4 minutes up the work. We had a lot of work to do
but somehow managed to catch 8 or 9 boats.

I won’t be suprised when the centreboard or rudder break away (ala
Skandia) the next time we get a good breeze.

Heat 4 was just an abortion. We were setting up for a good start
before Sweeney decided to slot in nicely behind RMW with 5 seconds
to go. We were bounced out to the right and were looking ok for a
while - we didn’t consolidate and the fleet lifted out inside us.
At one stage on the first work the only boat we crossed was CA
which had to restart. At the end of the work we’d caught maybe 10
boats and were gaining - but an ordinary downwind saw everyone move
away again and we were back with the scrubbers (perhaps where we
should be?). You’d gain a little here and there, work hard to catch
a few - and then lose it all again on a shift or two. Very tricky
light and shifty conditions.

Euan led from start to finish - in the end doing a horizon job on
the fleet. Now we all have to put up with his gloating for a long
long time.

More light wind forecast for today… so the little rig stays lying
in the sand yet again.

Since the League can’t manage to do a sort-ascending on the results
spreadsheet - here are the progressive placings after 4 races. No
drops included yet.

Place (R4)
Boat
Points
Place

6
Rag & Famish Hotel
14
1

4
RMW Marine
19
2

5
Asko Appliances
19
3

1
Club Marine
22
4

3
Team Pegasus
25
5

12
Computer Associates
25
6

9
Maytag
28
7

7
Casio Seapathfinder
31
8

2
Omega Smeg
35
9

8
CT Sail Bettens
46
10

10
Fisher & Paykel
48
11

18
Ssangyong Yandoo
59
12

22
Churchill’s Sports Bar
60
13

28
AAPT
62
14

14
SX Projects
63
15

16
Belle Property
66
16

13
Team Morrison
72
17

17
Rosemount
74
18

24
Fat Face Clothing
79
19

15
Adtec Communications
80
20

19
GP Covers
80
21

21
Pegasus Racing
82
22

23
Barron & Smithers-Henri Lloyd
85
23

20
Avaya
86
24

26
CST Composites
87
25

27
Team Mc Lean
104
26

25
CST Switzerland
110
27

11
Panasonic
28

Russell Coutts and Paul Cayard of Olympic, Americas Cup and
Whitbread fame did a good job pulling in the crowds at Woollahra to
raise money for the Australian 29ers going to San Francisco.

It was a bit of a suprise to see who turned up for the event. 90%
adults > 25. Both Coutts & Cayard were expecting to have a
much younger audience - but then I guess the kids these days just
don’t care.

Coutts talked here and there about his love of Sydney (whatever),
and how he started out in sailing. He poked lots of holes in the
audience’s knowledge of the rules, and dodged most of the tough
questions on the AC/controversy. There weren’t many tough questions
mind you.

Cayard also talked about how he started, how much it cost to sail
in the Olympics (both this time and back in the day), he talked
about Phillipe and the good things he’s doing for sailing. He did
make some vague references to his plans with Russell for a “new”
event in sailing around an NFL model. More entertainment for the
dollars than Americas Cup, while not necessarily taking away from
it.

Cayard did make some jabs at Ellison & Bertarelli for blowing
so much money (probably closing in on $500M by 2007) on their in
some ways frivolous campaigns. He contrasted that to Kahn, who is
supporting lots of Olympic and dinghy sailors in the US and through
Pegasus Racing. I guess the B’s are just allowing their respective
Olympians to blow money on the Olympics by paying them so much - in
the end the same result but with an AC campaign too.

Cayard seemed more open and honest about his failures and his
limited opportunities for Olympic success. He did share an insight
into his passion for sailing and racing, whereas Coutts is a little
more Schumacher-esque - clinical & professional. I guess he has
a few less failures to stew about having been an Olympic gold
medallist and the most successful AC skipper in history.

These guys are both obviously very talented, very professional and
very smart people. Interesting they didn’t hang around to chat for
long after they’d finished - Russell left immediately - probably to
avoid the journalist vultures who were waiting to corner him.

Anyway… now to get plans together for San Fran I guess… along
with everything else that is happening.

Update #1: A very convoluted
summary is available on sail-world. Maybe it’s Friday
afternoon, but can anyone understand that? And
which Olympics was Cayard a gold medallist in?

Now who said breaking two masts in two days was a bad start to a
regatta?

With our “she’ll be right” repaired rig, we’re going faster than
ever… scoring another 10th - which should have been better, and
beating Cocko yet again by 1 second.

We’re happy to say the least. If not for a 40 degree right hander
allowing 7 boats to pass us on the 2nd work, we’d be looking
famous!

The Rag won today with Asko 2nd. Both are tied on 4 points after 2
races. World Champs RMW continue to struggle in the light
conditions, placing 6th or so. When the wind blows these guys are
in a class of their own… but in the light they’re not so flash. I
guess we’ll see them down in the park from 7am tomorrow (again)
working on their mast. If only they got off the startline…

AAPT is doing well with Sean Langman breaking a rib and being
replaced by the old and experienced Trevor Barnabas. Tips are on
Barnabas and celebrity skipper John Boyd sharing the helming and
taking AAPT close to the Championship win. They’re carring a 22nd
at this stage which isn’t helping their cause.

And the talk around the traps is of the “special” framing and
modified rocker in RMW making them quicker in chop. The differences
are visible - if you convince yourself they’re there. Bring on more
flat water and light winds I say.

At least we wont break our rig… touch wood.