PERCHED IN THE 'BRANCHES' OF THE MILLENNIUM
RIG
From time to time strange birds are
found perching at the top of the America's Cup Class mast.
On a regular basis, the grinders hoist team members Murray
Jones, J.C. Monnin or Dean Phipps up the rig to perch in the
top spreaders. Let's take a look at what it's like to take
up a spot in the heights of the mast.
The strategy of sending a man up the
mast started in 1995 when Murray Jones found it was more efficient
to track the breeze from the top spreaders than on the deck
of the boat. Now a common method, this new idea caused a bit
of controversy at the time. Many teams' strategically made
decisions depend on what their sentry can see from his lookout
post in the mast.
Whether to send a team member to the
top of the mast is decided by the weather briefing in the
morning. If the forecast calls for shifty conditions and dominant
oscillations and if the wind is less than 12 knots, there
is a strong chance that one of the sailors will be sent up
the rig. He takes his place at the top of the mast in the
pre-start phase of racing, scrutinizing the horizon for wind
and feeding information to the afterguard about the characteristics
(the position and direction of the wind) of the pressure zones
so that the team can control the first puff of fresh breeze.
Besides the trial at sea level, this person also helps the
passage of the asymmetric spinnaker and pushes the battens
of the mainsail over to the other side when the boat is gybing
in very light air. He usually descends from the mast a few
minutes after the start.
Going up the mast takes about 15 seconds,
depending on the sailor's weight. This occurs with the help
of the grinders, who carefully hoist him up the mast using
their "coffee grinders." Once at the top, the team
member positions himself as comfortably as he can on the top
spreaders, however, once the wind does start to blow, the
boat begins to pitch back and forth. The movement of the boat
is amplified at the top if the rig, 32 meters above the deck
of the yacht. It is rare to see a team member at the top of
the rig when the force of the wind passes above 12 knots,
or when the sea state is agitated.
From his vantage point high up in the
spreaders, this sea-faring bird of good omens communicates
his observation to the sailors at the back of the boat.
--Alinghi Team
