Yachting and politics: oil and water

[Guest]

RYA signs sports equality charter says an announcement from RYA itself dated 4 July 2002. Apparently the RYA Chief Executive (new title?), Mr Rod Carr, went to London and in the presence of 'members of Parliament and leading sports officials' signed the (wait for it) Sporting Equals Charter for racial equality in sport.
Then he stated 'We are please to sign up to this initiative...bursting the bubble that sail is in any way elitist'.
Now what on earth is the RYA wasting its time and our (subscribers') money making futile gestures beloved of politicians and quangos. It should be getting on with serving its paid up members, which include almost all sailing and boating clubs.
There is no evidence that sailors have ever acted against any particular races and it is insulting to suggest it by signing a document of the type: ' in future I shall stop beating my wife'.
Yachting and politics are as oil and water and they don't mix. Mr Carr is not a politician and he should not get sucked into Westminster subtleties. People will sail and boat regardless of race and the RYA should not conspire with politicians to try and say who should do what.
Photographs of winning teams of British racing sailors often seem to show them all with fair hair, the same with offshore professional Anglo-Saxons (Aus, New Zealand, British, US). Why not? Look at Finnish or Swedish sailors and they are flaxen! It is banal facts that around the world certain groups, nationalities and such like are drawn towards certain sporting activities.
Mr Carr should cease to mouth current political jargon such such as 'elitist' (a hackneyed old adjective around sailing) and 'initiative' (straight from the spin people!).

 

[coachone]

perhaps the rya by signing up to this fairly harmless charter are seeking to influence the politicians and HMG who pass the laws and statutes that govern our lives.Better to be inside the tent and listened to than outside and ignored.

 

[Guest]

If you don't like what Mr Carr is doing you, as a member, have every right to write to him and tell him so, why don't you?

 

[tome]

Downing Street Luv-In

Since we're out of the world cup and Wimbledon, young Permagrin is looking for new groups to invite to 'Ten following its modest refurbishment. Having done well in sailing recently it's only fair that we should be the next target.

Mr Carr is doing a great job as vanguard - the new quango (I believe the Campbell code is 'Force 10') needs to be properly constituted to avoid future embarassment. Carr is merely avoiding invitations being sent to the Bernie Ecclestones or Vaz's of our sport, and who better than the RYA to oversee this with their extensive database?

I think Mr Carrs new title more befitting his role as ambassador.

 

[incognito]

I love your little joke implying racial equality in yachting.

I started a thread here about the disgusting behaviour at TWO clubs toward two different black newbies, who were pretty quickly put off sailing.

The stuff I got on this board (be honest, it's predecessor) ranged from discussions as to how black people can't swim, due to higher density - to the well-known fact that black/asian people can't generally afford boats. Absolutely rejected that it had anything to do with the yottie community.

Wonder how this will go down, second time round?