Maiden record

[Adrian_Morgan]

Just had another gushing email from Maiden. Announcing Maiden's entry in the Round the Island Race, they speak of her being fresh from an 'extraordinary period of success'. This presumably means the spurious new record from Antigua to Newport (that she was the first to set) and the 24-hour record, which was hardly in the spirit of the past when it represented a 24-segment in a longer passage, not a stunt. It was supposed to be the fastest day's run in the course of a passage.

They also claim to be the 'world's fastest boat', are they really suggesting that? Perhaps they mean sailing boat. Even that doesn't take into account the outright speed record (see postings below).

In a world full of bullshit even yachting isn't safe from the PR hype. But then I suppose it never was.

Now hype I understand. Inaccuracy, no.

 

[Mirelle]

That would have been about the time when La Edwards was opening the Posidonia shipping trade show in Piraeus.....

I have nil, zero, zilch interest in people who get paid to go sailing. Period.

 

[Guest]

We want our sports back !

Yet another case of big business hi jacking our sports for greed . Aided and abetted by professional egotists who say ' I'am doing it for Britain '. And us mugs fall for it every time.

Sponsorship used to be about doing things at a local level to further society for the common good. i.e. the chance for people to do things that they otherwise could not do. Particularly for young people. It was good business too ! Thank god there are still a few local firms willing to do it - but not many now .

For every mercenary sailor that takes money from these people there are 100 'quiet' heros going sailing in unknown waters under their own steam. Often taking years to be able to do it.

Contrived records in tricked up joke craft ?

Who cares ?

Angry angry .....................

 

[bedouin]

Re: What harm does it do us?

This is the classic Amateur vs Professional discussion that many sports have had to go through. It wasn't that long ago that professional sportsmen were not allowed to compete in the Olympics - and we still have the rather inappropriately named Amateur Athletics Association.

The fact is that there is very little overlap between their world and ours - but their professionalism doesn't necessarily harm our sport in any way - perhaps even the opposite, Ellen Mac has certainly raised the profile of sailing in this country

 

[Guest]

Re: What harm does it do us?

Respect your view's Bed's but most pro's are terrible role models for the young. Mcenroe, Roy Keene and their foul mouths and manners are held up to be the way to live for young people. Their manager's are just as bad. In football it has created our 'Yob' culture and I see it at local level in many sports. They get away with it because big business demands it to be like that. Schumaker's ramming people off the track and getting away with it proves this.

It is only a matter of time before it comes to sailing. Big business in sport brings the ' I must win at ANY cost ( including taking drugs) even if I cripple someone' attitude which was not the idea of sport in the begining.

Young people who have been lucky enough to be brought up in loving and caring homes can withstand these pressures. Others cannot.

 

[ParaHandy]

Re: What harm does it do us?

Ellen Mac has certainly raised her own profile but that of sailing too? Not that I begrudge a very courageous young person anything.

There was a statistic published somewhere suggesting that sailing in UK is declining (whilst power is rising) which surprised me. Remember Torvill & Dean? After they won the Olympics, ice rinks were packed. We've won umpteen gold medals at Sydney Olympics for sailing, got a young sailing heroine, and yet it's not translated into bums on seats (or trapeze, if you will).

What we have got are these medja events which are more designed to attract commercial sponsorship than any longer lasting, sustainable, benefit outside of the immediate interests of the parties concerned.

 

[Viking]

Re: How dare we do well!

OH GOD! We British do like to do our heros down dont we!

I wonder sometimes we bother to try to win anything? Theres alway someone got to put the knife in.

God help the England Football team if they win the world cup! What professional money grabing b**t**ds they would be.

 

[Mirelle]

Re: How dare we do well!

At Pds 90,000 per week, they already are!

 

[Mirelle]

Bravo!

Well said, and how sadly true...

 

[tony_brighton]

Its probably the same reason people couldn't give a monkey's about the Volvo.

 

[Viking]

Re: How dare we do well!

Well now the time to get off your a**e and show us what you can do?

 

[Guest]

How about some facts

Before any more opinions (off the subject), how about some facts.
Maiden II is not 'the world's fastest sailing boat'; that is Yellow Pages Endeavour (AUS) which sailed at a recorded 46.42 knots in 1993.
The nationality of Maiden is uncertain. The joint skippers are Helena Darvalid (SWE), Adrienne Cahalan (AUS) and Brian Thompson (GBR).
Maiden II under her present name has broken no records. The claim on the distance run in 24 hours is in the pipeline and the present holder of this record remains Playstation (Steve Fossett, USA).
Lastly it is incorrect and indeed illegal to wear the St George's Cross flag (as curiously announced by Maiden II) on any yacht, boat or ship, but I guess it has to be tolerated in the current footie hysteria.
Just fixing the Brazilian ensign on to my boat and my car - perfectly permissable!

 

[Endymion]

Re: What harm does it do us?

On the whole Vic, I think you are right. Money in sport somehow doesn't seem to bring out the best in people.

Having said that, I met and had a chat with Tracy Edwards at a conference where she was a guest speaker. She comes across as a 'sailors sailor' BUT there is little or no doubt that she has a reasonable business head on her shoulders. There would seem to be an element of incentive to go for this "record" along the lines of if we do well in this, there will be more in the kitty for the 2004 Race...can't really blame her for that!

However, I have to agree with Mirelle that anyone being paid to go sailing really seems to go against the grain.

Endy

 

[ruthhobson]

Re: What harm does it do us?

I feel I am qualified to comment on professional sport especially football clubs (as I have worked at one for almost 13 years). And think other sports can learn alot from football, the mistakes and the good practice.

I won't defend the players wages but one player who has been criticised in an early post does many hour of community work every week on condition the press are not present. Football gets a bad press - some deserved - but the newspapers don't want to report on the nice side of football. Who wants to hear that a demonised player donates money to charities and spend hours with dying children in a hospice?

Or that club's work in football development for all abilities not just the elite. These "companies" spend money working on social exclusion projects, education projects, development of the womens game and working with the unemployed (to name but a few projects).

The club I work for also make sure their sponsors have the same sort of commitment to grassroots development and community work (and it is written into their contracts). Also The Premier League audits and publishes reports on their work for all their clubs.

You talk about the role models, yob culture and young people withstanding pressures - well I won't bore you here but please ask if you would like full details of the citizenship programme I am developing for use in schools- it deals with all these points.

I will now get off my soap box....Any way football will be paying for my sailing holiday - and hopefully our first boat later this year, so I hope you understand I felt obliged to defend them.

And remember when you talk about yob culture can football really be the only factor responsible?? More people attend church on a Sunday than attend a football match on a Saturday....... ;0)

Ruth