July 1st 2010

I just can't seem to move off the Bermuda Race Thread. Here is a remark from Scotty Kaufmann taken from Scuttlebutt. Scotty is of course entirely correct in his statement. He designed a similar surgery to the first "Boomerang", designed and built by Bob Derecktor and had a serious case of the slows. Scotty's changes made it a competitive boat. 

    My fondest memory sailing with Scotty is the St. Petersburg to Ft. Lauderdale race, was it in 1980?  It was a fresh breeze from the north. Bob Derecktor was aboard. It was a shy reach at the start. (remember these are the days when everything was big and heavy.)  "Boomerang" was 66 feet; so a mini-maxi in the class with "Kialoa" at 80 feet.

    We were able to hold the spinnaker with two people steering. It was real work. Jeff Neuberth, Scotty and myself were rotating every 15 minutes steering, while the one out would watch the compass. We were holding the big boats in front of us, pushing water, going 17 knots. 

  There are many associated stories, some of which might be too colorful for print. 

      Larry Ellison and the America's cup were at the White House yesterday. Today they will be in Newport, RI.  Newport must be very excited, Larry Ellison also happens to own a house in Newport, which has led to speculation that Newport could be a legitimate contender for the America's cup in the future. It is unlikely, Space and money are the primary obstacles.

  All of these musings should be put in the context ofthe BP oil spill, now 73 days and counting, and the still fragile economy of the world.

I am in California, north of San Francisco, visiting my children, I am reminded each time of the variety and beauty of California. This is wine country, and for many there is the association with France, however these colors and shapes are for me much more like Spain. 

Bermuda Race start 3 days away

The Bermuda Race is only 600 miles, 4 days should be an ample window for me on a 50 foot boat. Somehow there are always so many loose ends to tie up before the start. The weather at the moment looks like a nice close reach start, running out of wind at the Gulf  Stream.
   I chose to pre clear customs, which may mean I am, if someone chose to look at paperwork, in Bermuda right now. It took awhile as I was not the only one with that idea. All of Belle Mente's crew were in front of me, including Tom Mclaughlin.
  Once accomplished, I wanted to stop at Team One for last minute errands, I stopped by the Sparkman & Stephens office, which is now home to two of the designers. On the way I noticed an aircraft carrier under the Newport Bridge. I did a double take at that. It seems the Forrestal is being moved south and will become a museum in another port.
   I am still hoping to hear from former 12 meter sailors who would be willing to share photos and stories of  their experiences.
  
    

500 mb and the Gulf Stream

Today was the last day of class with Lee Chesneau, we discussed the 500 mb charts in weather. We had a guest speaker, Frank Bohlen who has spent most of his life studying the Gulf Stream. It is such a large feature and contains so much energy, it has a very real impact on weather.

  We only scratched the surface on these subjects, but it points us in the right direction to learn more

I have been stopping each time I return to newport crossing the bridge to check on the progress of the Ospreys that are nesting near the marsh. splendid creatures. I cannot wait to see the offspring.

WHAT IS BIG?

I had trouble fitting "Mirabella V" in the frame. That is" Leopard of London" which is 100 feet long on the outside of "Mirabella" The dark mast through the rigging of "Mirabella" is "Speedboat" also 100 feet long. Both of the 100 foot boat have power assisted winches and canting keels, which means that the engine must be running pretty much all the time in order to sail the boat. They sail with 18-25 people as they are all needed to make sail changes or any other big changes, like a jibe.
   Both "Speedboat" and "Leopard" are in Newport waiting for a weather window to make an attempt on the monohull transatlantic record. Because they have power assisted winches they can never own the outright record held by "Maria Cha" set in 2003
   "Speedboat" is also entered in the Bermuda Race starting June 18th, where I am certain they would like to set a course record as well.
    "Mirabella V" is, I believe ,still the largest sloop in the world. Despite to fact that everything is done by a computer and power, I have trouble conceiving of managing anything aboard her. Just the sheer size of the gear and the loads generated are mind boggling. The photo of people standing next to the headstay turnbuckle should be proof enough. This photo is courtesy of Bill Coleman.
   I am thrilled to see these boats and glad of their existence I am anxious to get back to the thread of the 12 meters and the America's Cup.

LOOKING FOR A BERMUDA RACE NAVIGATOR?

matt@gregorysports.com

Mobile: +1 415 407 3800

Would you like to win the Bermuda Race this year? Matt Gregory is available as navigator.

196 Entries for the 2010 Bermuda Race

196 entries is a healthy number any time, for a race like the Bermuda Race. 635 nm in distance at a magnetic course of 162  degrees. The start is June 18th, therefore the weather will be what the weather will be.  Add to that the Gulf Stream as a race course feature. It is not always possible to take full advantage of both.  The Gulf Stream is like a barrier or fence in the Ocean that you have to climb over to get where you are going.
  Kitchen Shoals is your landfall/turning mark, before finishing off St. David's light

more Carina memories, the big mouth frog.

In 1971, I was preparing "Carina" for another trans-atlantic crossing to Cowes for the Admiral's Cup. "Carina" was again part of the 3 boat team representing the United States.

I had "Carina" tied to the dock at Indian Harbour Yacht Club; a man approached me saying he had these things, cold light, recently invented by him, and he was not yet sure what they would be useful for. He gave me some for the trip asking if I/we could provide feedback to him about possible uses.

As we all know today cylume is so big and commonplace that no one probably asks where they came from or when.

During the crossing, we mostly played with them, for amusement. I did use one while working on a leak in the compressor for the refrigeration, but really because it was available.

BERMUDA RACE 1970

As I continue to "mine" my papers and photographs, new material comes to light. I have previously written about my "Carina" years and the Nye family. Not enough can be said about their involvement in yachting. Here are copies of the Bermuda newspaper after our win. and a photo of Bodie Rhodes and one of his daughters Robin.

I do not appear in many photos, so this is unusual. I will also mention, if I did not before. We rounded Argus tower ahead of "Ondine"(73 foot Tripp design) boat for boat.

BURT DARRELL

I first met Burt Darrell in 1970 after the Bermuda Race. We had work done at his yard. In the succeeding years I would always visit and help out at the yard, as the finish of a Bermuda Race would push the limits of the usual island time. I looked forward to it, as I was rewarded with many stories of the sailing past. He was a man of enormous understated charm. Often I was invited to lunch at his house, again understated, well hidden from the public. A house he built himself with lumber salvaged from wrecks on the reefs surrounding Bermuda. The House was built of teak.

It was not unusual for someone of note to turn up for lunch as well.

Burt was an accomplished sailor in his own right having won the King Edward VII Gold Cup six times, in addition to his other accomplishments.

Burt would come to Newport for the America's Cup races. He, like many real sailors wanted to "look under the hood" . It wasn't the glamor, but the technology that attracted him.

In 1972 a hurricane crossed the fleet on it's way to Bermuda. We were in need of repair, like so many other boats once we arrived in Bermuda; and were due to sail in the Trans-atlantic race to Spain to boot. I worked furiously at Burt's yard on our projects, helping haul other boats in between.

more 1970

In 1970 I sailed the intercollegiate championships in Madison, WI. In those days the team race championships were divided by district. We beat the West coast for the first time in many years; however in the individual championships they dominated.

I arrived the day following the conclusion of the series back in Newport the morning of the start of the Bermuda Race, which I sailed aboard "Carina" Dick Nye's 48 foot McCurdy & Rhodes sloop. We won overall beating many bigger boats across the line.

Returning to Newport I needed a summer job. It was an America's Cup summer. I found work on the shore crew for "Heritage" designed, built and skippered by Charlie Morgan, preparing the boat each morning before it left for racing and in the evening upon its return.

I raced the Stamford-Vineyard race on "Carina". we did well and "Carina" won the NORT(northern ocean racing trophy) a cumulative scored prize.

"Chubasco" a 68 foot S&S yawl from the west coast. We left the dock for the delivery to Ft. Lauderdale,FL the middle of November. The wind never stopped blowing the whole trip. We had 50 knots out of the north for 8 days. wet and wild. Burke Mooney at the helm in the photo.

I returned to Newport. In December I flew to Charleston, SC to jion "Loon" a 45 foot yawl belonging to Gifford Pinchot to help sail it to St. Thomas,VI. He raced actively in the 1950's and wrote a number of books on the subject. I arrived back to the news that by birthdate had been assigned a lottery number for the draft that would in all likelihood that would never be drawn.

Bermuda Race 2004

the 2004 Bermuda Race was my first Bermuda Race since 1980. re-united with the core crew of "Snow Lion" from the 2003 trans-atlantic race and fastnet race.

220 miles the first 24 hours. The Stars were so bright the next night you could see them through the sails; it was so bright out a flashlight was not necessary.

Bermuda Race 2006

2006 was the debut of the new Jason Ker 50 foot 'Snow Lion"; launched only weeks before the Bermuda Race. We sailed the NYYC spring regatta and then off to Bermuda. It was a slow upwind race. We managed a class win and winning by the greatest margin in any class meant we earned extra silver.

The first evening of the race I hit what expect was a basking shark, quite large, it became wrapped around the keel, we had to stop and sail backward to free it.

I just made my flight home as I never expected the race to take as long as it did.

CARINA

No story about yachting is complete without "Carina" belonging to the Nyes. There is probably no boat in yachting history that won more races. There were several yachts bearing the name, all belonging to the Nye family. The success was a father,son story, complementing each other perfectly.

I started sailing on the last "Carina"a 48 foot sloop built in 1969, designed by McCurdy&Rhodes. They had been tasked to design a boat that would rate well under any rule and sail fast naturally.(The rating rule was in transition and no one knew exactly what it would be, the existing CCA rule in America was being melded with the RORC rule in the rest of the world.)the boat is still winning races today.

In 1969 of 32 starts I believe there were 29 firsts, the rest were 2nd or 3rd. We won our class in the Trans-atlantic race from Newport to Cork, Ireland. From there we went on to Admiral's Cup and were part of the winning United States team.

1970 we won the Bermuda Race. and probably the Northern Ocean Racing Trophy, give for a cumulative score based on several races, block Island race, Stamford Vineyard race, Marblehead-Halifax race.

For me the Bermuda race was pier head jump flying in from the intercollegiate national championships.

1971 we sailed the boat across the atlantic again to participate once more in the Admiral's Cup and Fastnet race.

I only sailed those three seasons on the boat, but it's indelible mark was with me forever.

1972 Charisma

A few days ago there was a reunion of sorts. a number of the crew of the "glory days" of Charisma the S&S 56 belonging to Jesse Phillips turned up in Newport. I keep fond memories of our days sailing. It all seemed so easy, we all had confidence in one another . In the photo on the left taken during the Bermuda race, a hurricane crossed the course, we had

70 knots over the deck at one point. It was also the moment I decided that I could make a better safety harness.(it's me in the photo)

the photo taken from the masthead of Charisma during the trans-atlantic race to Spain. A long slow race.

From there we took off to get to Sardinia in time for the first Mediterranean championships, Bill Ficker came and skippered the boat, we won everything.

the bottom photo is of Peter Van dyke and John Browning sailing throught the straits of Gibraltar