dyzzypyxxy
Member
Give me a break! If I only wanted to race against other women, I certainly wouldn't choose to race Lasers, except for specific Olympic regattas where I would get a separate start. Since I am small, old and arthritic it's not likely I will sail any of those events, but . . . a Master's Worlds regatta still holds appeal.
When I enter a regatta in a fleet of Rads in which there are 42 guys and 4 women, I expect to compete with 45 other sailors. Making those four female sailors display a "rhombus" on their sails would be a blantantly sexist move.
Aren't there few enough women sailing regular Laser events already? Take a look at the entry list of the Masters event last weekend - one woman. I hoped when Radials became Olympic, it would encourage more women to continue racing Lasers past college. This kind of stupidity will discourage them, no doubt in my mind.
I fought Jeff Martin about this ridiculous idea at the Masters Worlds in Chile in 1997 and ever since. There were two women racing Radials in the event that year. Five minutes into the practice day I knew my fellow female's sail number. When we got ashore, Jeff Martin presented Leslie and I with his red stickers to apply to our sails. I promptly - right in front of him - stuck it where it belonged, and sailed the regatta with it firmly stuck to the seat of my hiking pants.
There obviously is no female representative on the Laser World Council at the moment. For this rule change proposal to get through to the voting stage, your WC members must have been asleep or . . . dare I suggest, in the wc.
Come on, Guys! Sailing is one sport that has a relatively level playing field for men and women of comparable skill and size. Either race against us fair and square, or give us a separate start if you must segregate us.
I know some guys have a lot of trouble with getting "beat by a girl". Get over it! As for me, I just want to race and I don't care if my competition is male or female. I came to compete and in Lasers the size of the fleet is a big part of the appeal.
Lainie
When I enter a regatta in a fleet of Rads in which there are 42 guys and 4 women, I expect to compete with 45 other sailors. Making those four female sailors display a "rhombus" on their sails would be a blantantly sexist move.
Aren't there few enough women sailing regular Laser events already? Take a look at the entry list of the Masters event last weekend - one woman. I hoped when Radials became Olympic, it would encourage more women to continue racing Lasers past college. This kind of stupidity will discourage them, no doubt in my mind.
I fought Jeff Martin about this ridiculous idea at the Masters Worlds in Chile in 1997 and ever since. There were two women racing Radials in the event that year. Five minutes into the practice day I knew my fellow female's sail number. When we got ashore, Jeff Martin presented Leslie and I with his red stickers to apply to our sails. I promptly - right in front of him - stuck it where it belonged, and sailed the regatta with it firmly stuck to the seat of my hiking pants.
There obviously is no female representative on the Laser World Council at the moment. For this rule change proposal to get through to the voting stage, your WC members must have been asleep or . . . dare I suggest, in the wc.
Come on, Guys! Sailing is one sport that has a relatively level playing field for men and women of comparable skill and size. Either race against us fair and square, or give us a separate start if you must segregate us.
I know some guys have a lot of trouble with getting "beat by a girl". Get over it! As for me, I just want to race and I don't care if my competition is male or female. I came to compete and in Lasers the size of the fleet is a big part of the appeal.
Lainie