Apparently, there is no low that some won’t stoop to in an attempt to throw me out of a yacht race.
Here’s the story: Anarchy was entered in a three-race Winter Series held by the Cortez Racing Association, which in addition to SDYC, I have been a member of for years. I was in Germany for the first race of the series, so I asked good friend and fellow SDYC member Alex Camet to sail the boat in my absence. He did, and to no one’s surprise, Anarchy won.
But, to my actual surprise, a full eleven days after the race, I received an e-mail from the CRA protest chair informing the me that the distant third-place boat in our class was protesting us. What heinous crime did Anarchy commit? And one that would warrant a protest to be filed a full eleven days later? Some blatant on the water foul? Perhaps a mark that we hit but didn’t do a turn? Maybe a gross equipment violation? Surely it was something substantive and very, very serious, correct?
I’m afraid not. It turns out that Brad Alberts, the owner of “El Sueno”, a somewhat sluggish Beneteau 47.7 (a boat that we beat by 10 minutes on a 19 mile race last Sat) thinks that Anarchy should be disqualified because the boat didn’t have a CRA member onboard! OMG!!! We should be thrown out of yacht racing for eternity! We are clearly cheaters attempting to subvert the rules! Inform US Sailing immediately!!!!
It’s not that it’s a chickenshit protest that had nothing to do with the actual racing, it’s not that’s it’s a total waste of time, it’s not that it is almost completely without merit. No, it is that this clown thinks that this is actually a worthwhile pursuit. That this is something that he spent DAYS pursuing and obsessing on. Isn’t life way too short to spend one’s time on such a trivial and douchey protest?
We don’t think any “rule” has been broken at all. For those who care, here is the protest. Here are the CRA By-Laws, and here is both the NOR and SI’s. If you have a comment, post it here. – ed.
And thanks to Middle Class Rut for the title inspiration.
