While the word ‘Mooch’ still may remind folks of the racist nutbag running the USA for the moment or the Goodfella who ran his press office for 6 minutes last month, we hope the UK yacht Scaramouche can begin to wash the smell off what is a damned good nickname. And if they keep taking underprivileged city kids out on a well-found racing yacht and then publicizing it beautifully to the world, they’re on their way. From the blurb (snd thanks to Halcyon Yachts for the heads up).
After five days at sea, a team of inner-city teenagers have made history as the only crew from a comprehensive [what we call ‘public’ school in the US -ed] known to have finished the world’s largest offshore sailing race. Scaramouche is a 45ft German Frers yacht that was built in 1982 for the Admirals Cup, a true thoroughbred. The students are however the stars of the show and they deservedly won the Media Prize and as such were first up at the Fastnet prize giving.
In non-Mooch related news, French skippers absolutely dominated the huge race, winning 9 of the 11 major trophies. England may have the biggest races but they grow offshore talent in France like they grow grapes and dairy cows: Very, very well.
