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05 Nov 2009 12:37
Caption Contest
11/05/09innerview
Gash In, Part II11/05/09The conclusion to Surf City Catamarans' interview with multihull legend and BMW/Oracle coach Glenn Ashby:
SA: Speaking of the engineers, I heard you take them sailing on a pair of Wildcat F18s to help them to understand the functions of the boat?
GA:Yeah, I hope to get out there in the next half hour or so actually - I just had a few of the boys show up. We get out once or twice a week to be honest, and they’re loving it. The shore guys are getting out, there are a lot of guys that haven’t done that much sailing on catamarans are having a crack. It’s an absolute godsend having those. We’ve been able to use them a lot and get some guys out on the water that would not necessarily do a lot of sailing that just helps them with the engineering and the design side of things with the big boat.
SA: Engineers, designers, everyone's sailing them?
GA: Yeah, definitely. It’s just perfect to have them there, and they’re not like an Acat where you have to be a little gentle with the gear and stuff. You can sail them pretty hard, you know, they stand up to capsize and double trap with big guys.
SA: I never thought about getting the design crew on the small cats.
GA: Yeah it’s good. They come back with big grins on their faces. Everyone’s a winner.
SA: Converts!
SA: Do you think the AC's very visible multihull excitement will produce more multihull converts?
GA: Yes I believe it will - for sure - open peoples' eyes to the excitement and speed of multihull sailing at all levels. I can’t wait to see these 2 giant monsters of the sea go head to head and race like dinghies. I have always sailed both catamarans and monohulls and I can appreciate both for what they are. However for those who have not sailed multi-hulls, they don’t realize what they are missing.
SA: Do you think it will help get a multihull back in the Olympics?
GA: I am not sure.
SA: How about the crew. What’s it like to train some of the top monohull sailors on how to adapt to racing a multihull?
GA: It is a great honor for me to have the opportunity to work with and alongside many of the worlds best monohull sailors, many of whom are now mixing it up and beating many of the worlds best multihull sailors. They are keen learners and have the skills to adapt to many different kinds of sailing and racing on many different types of boats. So my job as sailing coach has been very enjoyable thus far and satisfying.
SA: Sounds like they’re fast learners. How quickly and competently are they adjusting to the steep learning curve that this project has placed upon them? What have you been using to teach them about multis?
GA: Most of the guys have taken to multihull sailing extremely well and are all very adaptable to the changing and dynamic circumstances that this cup is shaping up to be. All the guys have been sailing on various smaller multihulls from Aclass and F18, through to Extreme 40’s and Orma 60’s.
SA: How different is it now sailing on possibly the biggest sailing team in the world with large numbers of crew on board. Have you had to change your communications skills at all?
GA: For sure being a people person helps and getting on well with everyone is a bonus. Its not really much different than being part of a successful small team. Good communication is key ,especially on the water, and its always a learning process for everyone which you need to keep in mind always.
SA: Let’s talk tactics. What are the biggest differences in boat handling and tactics between sailing a 90' cat or tri around a course and how do you foresee the starts?
GA: The starts will be very exciting and most likely different to a standard monohull match race start. The closing speeds of the boats will be very, very high.
SA: Since there will almost certainly be a difference in speed between the two boats, once the boats are off the line, how do you plan and practice race tactics to deal?
That’s a good question for John Kostecki…….
SA: Are there any 'secret weapons' in the BMW ORACLE arsenal, and did they surprise you at all when you first learned of them?
GA: No, not really…
SA: You have seen what the BOR 90 has for speed and maneuverability, how do you think it handles and responds in relation to A5?
GA: I think both boats will be very closely matched by the time the event starts. Both boats will have a small speed advantage at some particular times on the course. Which boat will have the advantage and when is anyone’s guess at the moment with the continued development from both teams.
SA: What do you think will be most likely the first thing to break on either boat?
GA: That’s a good question and I am not sure on the answer. Both boats are extreme in their design and construction so I guess there could be a number of reliability issues for both teams. However as time gets closer to the event both boats become more reliable as the testing phase ends and the racing phase begins. Thus the chances for a breakage on either teams boats during racing would be no more than on a maxi monohull.
SA: What sort of loads are you seeing on the tri? Say mainsheet load, runner loads? forestay tension loads?
GA: No comment….
SA: You read in the threads here on SA about the controversial engine. What’s your view on it?
GA: The engine has certainly taken away the human powered element of the Cup which has never been seen before in the history of the event which I think is sad. In my mind it has certainly taken away from the sporting aspect and athleticism that attract the sailors to the event. There is no doubt that the boats are easier to sail with an engine doing all the hard work and trimming the sails becomes easier. However I am not in favor of the engine over human power for the Cup.
SA: As you said, these boats are pretty extreme in their design. How much real sensation do you feel on USA and, for example, do you have to hang onto fittings when she accelerates?
GA: The sensation on the big boat is quite different to sailing a small boat. I liken it to accelerating fast in a racing truck compared to a racing go cart. The top speed is much higher in the truck but the speed sensation is much more real and in your face lower to the ground and being smaller. In other words sailing downwind on an F18 standing on the transom doing 25 kts compared to nearly double speed on the big boat feels faster and more on the edge to me. However in saying that, the horse power and acceleration of the big boat is most impressive and hard to explain. A bit like a lightweight flying aircraft carrier…
SA: With all that power do you still have the helm and boat response that you find in the smaller cats?
GA: The helm is very similar to smaller cats and the boat is amazingly responsive for its size. Like all high performance multi-hulls, you can throw them around. However being smooth and having good anticipation is the key to maintaining top performance.
SA: BOR90 has many different foil configurations from straight canted boards to c-boards and now what looks like j-boards, what are the different aspects and performances between these?
GA: Well, they all work and have their preferred conditions. I am not an expert in this area but feel like it will be like selecting the right fin for your sailboard on a good wave sailing day….
SA: You’re really into this board sailing thing these days.
SA: To stay on task here, what legs or roundings do you expect to be the most challenging or potentially dangerous, how about windward mark roundings bearing off in a sizable breeze?
GA: Unless it is over 25kts I don’t think any roundings will be too bad. The big boats go round corners a bit easier than a moth or 49er as far as stability goes.
SA: Has anyone soiled themselves on a ‘big boys' bearaway?
GA: Not sure about the change of underwear, but you do need to hang on at times. The g forces get up there for sure but as the boat is so big the sensation is much less scary than trying to bear away an Extreme 40 for example in 25kts.
SA: Right on Glenn, thanks for taking time out of your schedule and hashing a few questions with me. Always good to talk with you and if you make your way up here, stop by the shop.
GA: No worries, mate.
Weeping At The WorldsAlmost two years ago, the International Melges 24 Class announced it would hold its 2009 World Championship in Annapolis, Maryland in November. And everywhere around the world, racers wept.
It's not like the IMCA didn't know what they were in for. You can ask a dozen experienced sailors what they think of sailing on the Chesapeake, and unless they live there, they'll all say the same thing: It's shit. If it's sunny and warm, there is no breeze. If there's breeze, it's cold, wet, and miserable, and 8 knots is enough to build up the infamous Chesapeake chop. The current is fickle and unpredictable, and at any moment the government can open upstream dams, throwing another knot or two of tide into the mix along with logs, garbage, and other debris. The racing area is covered with crabbers, oystermen, and commercial traffic, while near-invisible crab pots are everywhere. Tugs pull coal barges through the course on 200 meter cables, anchored freighters are often in the middle of the course, and if that's not enough, it's an expensive place to rent a house or book a hotel. As an Anarchist wrote yesterday, sailing in Annapolis this time of year is "a hate mission." Despite the lipstick they attempted to put on the Annapolis pig, the sailors weren't fooled; a depressing 51 boats showed up to race - the smallest Melges 24 Worlds fleet in more than a decade and 3 boats less than Detroit, Michigan pulled for Nationals just two years ago. That's right, Detroit.So why the hell would anyone even contemplate holding a World Championship for the highest-profile sportboat in the world in Annapolis in November? The short answer: Because no one else wanted it. For the long answer, you'll have to check back Friday when we give you our overall regatta report along with Penalty Box Productions 17-minute highlight reel.
Racing Recap
Our pre-event predictions were far off the mark. In 6 days of racing, 4 of them were in light, shifty conditions with perenially one-sided lines and beats. One local repeated all week, "there is no right," and those that were able to start near the pin and go left, left, left made out on almost all the races. Chris Larson's "West Marine Rigging" did just that, and with great starts all week long, Larson always found himself near the front of the fleet at every top mark. Every other team had at least one high scoring race, suckered into the right by pressure only to get beaten into submission by the shifts. Larson was the only boat in the fleet with only one double-digit finish, giving him a runaway victory of 25 points over Joe Fly and letting him and his all-Canadian crew play spectators for the final race. Photo at top of Larson, Clarke, Wolfs, and Florence courtesy of Meredith Block. Her full gallery is here.Those who claimed that Larson's victory was all about local knowledge missed the point; not only is his tactician Richard Clarke from Vancouver, but the second through sixth place boats were all European with extremely limited Annapolis experience. Olympic 470 sailor Gabrio Zandona helmed Joe Fly through an incredibly exciting final race to squeak out the 2nd place victory over Norwegian Volvo Ocean Race helmsman Eyvind Melleby. Melleby had a blistering start and first beat, putting 10 boats between him and Joe Fly, plenty to pass Zandona for the position. But the Italian ground him down, passing boats on every leg, and just meters from the finish, Joe Fly passed one more boat, enough to tie the Norway boat and win the tiebreak. 2006 World Champ Nicola Celon aboard Fantastica sailed a smart and conservative event to take fourth.
There was little doubt that the fastest boats in the fleet didn't win; 2001 World Champ Flavio Favini's Blu Moon and 2008 World Champ Rufo Bressani's UKA UKA Racing were both blazing, but both were also plagued by tough conditions, bad decisions, and the vagaries of racing in the hell that is the Chesapeake Bay. Favini was the casualty of an OCS in a race that never should have happened; the RC called 24 boats over on that start, 5 of which never went back. Amazingly, a few others didn't either but somehow were cleared; just one of a litany of errors from the committee led by PRO Jeff Borland. Favini made his point, though - from that point on, Blu Moon had the lowest score of the fleet with just 10 points in the final four races. Uka Uka had a different issue that put them in an early hole; bowchick Francesca Prina broke her ankle on a lumpy day 1, and her inability to get across the boat gave Bressani a big handicap as the '08 Champs started off Day 2 in 17th place. They rallied back, but like Blu Moon, there just wasn't enough runway left to catch Larson, and neither team got the big breeze that they are so superior in - not once. Uka Uka photo looking depressed also from Meredith Block.
Another big surprise was of course Terry Hutchinson's Quantum Racing, who won last year's North Americans so convincingly on the same water at the same time of year against many of the same competitors - in fact, there were only four more boats on the line this year. Despite a phenomenal crew and all the local knowledge he could handle, Hutch couldn't seem to get off the starting line, and found himself on the wrong side of too many shifts. Quantum's boathandling wasn't as crisp as it was last year, but the real factor was Terry and the team's lack of practice time. "We knew my lack of time in the boat was going to be a handicap...and it was." Photo of Terry dragging the top mark all over the bay courtesy of Sara Proctor/sailfastphoto.com.
Full results are here.
Media Guide
Between the assembled media, the event organizers, the M24 Class, and of course, our OTW Anarchy team of Petey Crawford, Katie Burns, Aaron Siegler, Meredith Block, and me, there's far too much coverage to wade through it all unassisted, so we've created a little index with all the links you need. You can easily watch any race you want from start to finish, check out all the pics, see Penalty Box Productions highlight reels, watch dozens of interviews plus the two great Cocktail Hour talk shows we did on site, and much more. CHECK OUT THE INDEX HERE, and check back on the front page tomorrow for the final highlight reel of the coverage.While we're still a long way off from perfection, our fully live coverage of Worlds was a huge step forward for On-The-Water Anarchy, and we'd like to thank all of the sponsors and advertisers who made our coverage possible. While there are a handful of folks who can't stand our unique brand of coverage, the vast majority of you have been hugely supportive of OTW Anarchy, and we truly want to thank you, the Anarchists, as well. Especially those who showed up at our Anarchy Halloween Punch party, a loud, crowded mess of fun people enjoying each others' company under the Anarchy flag. Our favorite costume was a full three-man "Weekend At Bernie's" getup complete with (play)-dead guy, but the one I'll remember best is 'The Four Bees' - Spelling Bee, Zom-Bee, Boo-Bee, and Queen Bee. Can you blame me?
If you'd like to see OTW Anarchy at an event near you or you have any comments for us, drop us a line and tell us more. And if you enjoyed watching it enough to want to see it again, take a few minutes to do some browsing while saving money on holiday gifts for the sailor in your life: Get big OTW discounts on awesome Atlantis and Patagonia (and more) gear from Point Loma Outfitting, big discounts and free Speedplay software when you buy an SC-1 or Speedpuck from Velocitek, the same electronics that powered Chris Larson to his Worlds victory, and get a big break on your next yacht or sportboat transport, rigging work, launch and haul, or concierge service from Latis Yachting Solutions. Be sure to check out our other sponsors for big discounts and Anarchist-only specials if you order now: Ocean Sailing Academy for great racing or cruising instruction in Charleston, SC; Ullman Sails Newport Beach for the fastest sails and best service in Southern California; the book Saving Sailing, which EVERY racer who gives a crap about the sport should read; RBS Battens, the choice of more than 90% of the Melges 24 and 32 fleet in either carbon or epoxy; Eastport Yachts, the builder/designer of the Eastport 32, the best damned tender/cruiser/fishing boat ever, Atlantis Weather Gear, manufacturer of the sexy and waterproof Grand Prix softshells you saw Mer and Katie sporting in all that video, Charleston Harbor Wireless Access, designer of systems for bringing wireless connectivity to an ocean near you, and Justin.TV, the world's fastest and largest live streaming video host/provider.
11/02/09ac/media
Media Matters11/05/09We all bitch about the lack of 'mainstream media' sailboat racing coverage, so here is a chance to have a vote. From SA kook, Da-Woody:
OK everyone FOX-5 in DAGO is running the BMW-O story on their web site IT IS A TEST - they are trying this out to see what interest is out there I assured them the stats will go off the charts once the world finds out Spread the word Send them a Thank You the result will be ---> MORE Coverage <--- WIN WIN WIN Go check it out NOW and check back often BMW-O Video on FOX-5 San Diego
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