Safe at Sea, and Safe On Shore
Something we can to today to address the way women are treated at sailing events
Even though I clearly misread the Bud Light brew ha ha, (I thought it would blow over) I have some more thoughts about crisis management. This time it is sexual harassment at sailing events.
After the Etchells Worlds* in Miami last week Sailing Scuttlebutt published an anonymous letter from a female athlete who endured very poor treatment from some of the men at the after party. After reading her account I was grateful that she was bold enough to write it up and relieved the outcome was not worse. I am not generally a fan of anonymous accusations, but completely understand why she is reluctant to put her name to it. I also appreciate her choice to resist the urge to name the offenders. Accusing by name without revealing your own name is also very complicated.
Today the International Governing Committee of the International Etchells Class Association issued a statement condemning the behavior. The statement was just an eyelash away from being as hollow as the “thoughts and prayers” statements we see so often until the very last sentence:
“The International Governing Committee of the Etchells Class is meeting to address this situation and establish processes for creating a better culture of inclusion and accountability going forward.”
Even though it would have been a better promise with a report back date attached, we should applaud the effort. In addition, here are a few thoughts I suggest for the discussion:
Work with the sailing community to come up with a statement in support of safety on and off the water for all participants. We do safety at sea, we can do safety on land. As an old white guy, I am sure I don’t know how to word this, but working together with other community members, a clearly stated standard could be devised.
Develop a workable method for participants to raise issues and get help immediately. Every person involved in running an event should know exactly what to do if a sailor comes to them with an issue. We can pluck sailors out of the water when they fall overboard, and we don’t do it the next day.
Since regatta organizers and volunteers are not present at every event, every person that registers a boat for the competition should be deputized to help if a situation arises. We sign liability waivers at every event, we should also sign a statement that as boat owners we will work to ensure that all sailors are safe at sea and safe on shore.
In reading through the comments on the original post, many women supported the author’s account. An anonymous account can be discredited, but many other female sailors did lend their names and confirmed that this is a real issue.
While we are waiting for the Etchells Class or other regatta organizers to do something, here is something the rest of us can start doing today.
Owners / Drivers: When you give your safety talk at the beginning of an event add something like this:
“In addition to safety at sea, we all want to be safe on shore as well. We believe that all sailors should treat each other with dignity and respect. If you experience anything below this standard, please bring it to my attention. If you bring an issue to my attention, I promise to address the issue with the owner/driver of the boat in question and ask them to reconsider having the offending person on their boat.”
Sailors: Look out for your teammates. If you see something, say something.
*The Etchells class is a ultra competitive, traditional 30 foot sailboat sailed by either three or four people. Winning the Etchells Worlds is very prestigious, and most of the boats racing are campaigned seriously with one or more paid professional sailors on board. Sailing doesn’t have a top four events like tennis has its slams or golf has its majors, but if it did, the Etchells Worlds would be in it.
Links and Resources
My Bud Light Post: https://curiousaboutmarketing.substack.com/p/marketing-through-blow-ups
The Anonymous Letter: https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2023/04/24/dear-men-of-the-sailing-world/
The Etchells Class Response: https://etchells.org/news/article/statement-regarding-dear-men-of-sailing
Thank you, Jay. Too often we all remain silent. Thank you for being one of the good ones and for raising your voice for accountability.