News & Views for Southern Sailors - Southwinds Magazine

LETTERSFreedom of the press is limited to those who own one.H.L. MenckenIn its continuing endeavor to share its press, SOUTHWINDSinvites readers to write in with experiences & opinions.BOAT COVER COMPANY BACKS UP ITS PRODUCTA couple of years ago, I purchased a boat cover from TaylorMade products for my 17-foot powerboat (I know it’s not asailboat, but I go out and cover sailboat races with it). It wasvery well made and had a five-year warranty. After twoyears, there were stitching problems. I contacted the companyand mailed them the cover. I expected to have to get anew one and perhaps pay a prorated price for it. I wouldeven have been happy if they just re-stitched the old one.Instead, they mailed me a brand-new one. Not only that, itwas better than the mid-quality one I had originally purchased.It was their highest-quality cover.There’s hope for mankind yet.Steve MorrellEditor, SOUTHWINDS MagazineWHY ARE WOMEN-ONLY RACESPROTESTED SO MUCH?As a veteran of Pensacola Beach Yacht Club’s only allfemaleRace for the Roses (Roses Regatta) for the past 19years, I have observed a continuing pattern of official andunofficial “protests,” which are both perplexing andaggravating.The regatta was envisioned as an opportunity toencourage women to spread their wings and challengethem to achieve new goals in a male-dominated sport. But,with protests filed year after year, one might think somethingis wrong with the concept.Racing itself is not flawed. Rules are updated frequentlyto ensure that competitors have a better understanding ofthose rules. However, most local races don’t involveprotests. Rather it is when the race is part of a coveted series,or a Gulf Yachting Association sanctioned event, that competitorsare more likely to sail aggressively and rulesenforcement comes into play.At the same time, skippers usually handpick theircrews for these “important races” (for lack of a better term).Women crewing these races are in the minority. Therefore,women, in general, may have less exposure to actual experiencewith rules on the racecourse.Few women own their own boats, so opportunities toactually skipper a boat for some Roses Regatta participantscomes once a year – with a couple of practice races thrownin. The female skipper finds herself multi-tasking boat andcrew responsibilities besides her normal onboard positionduties. This can be daunting, perhaps even overwhelming ifa storm stands a boat on its ear. Without much experience,focus and concentration can be compromised and conditionsbecome ripe for a protest.Other veterans of the Roses Regatta have shared theirdismay at the number of protests filed throughout the years,and each has her own opinion as to why it happens. One skipperremarked that it seems that the race committee somehowmanages to make the Roses course more difficult than anyordinary race. Another wondered why, since the event alwayshas protests, there aren’t more chase boats available to help8 October 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com