The Bilge Rat
How about that sanctimonious old fart who writes here, and calls himself The Bosun? Sheesh! He can’t help sneaking in a sly reference to “diversity” in his report yesterday on the Notice of Race for the next Sydney-Hobart.
R69’s resident geriatric is bemused that the S-H NoR allows entrants an extra crew member if they voluntarily take two women, or two males aged 23 or less, or one of each.
Well old feller, that’s nothing – a mere Aussie virtue-signaling gesture! Cop this: the Notice of Race for next year’s Admiral’s Cup has just been released and it makes that level of diversity a compulsory minimum. Don’t believe me? Let Benny quote you the rule:
1.4.4. Each two-boat team shall have at least two female crew and two crew members of under 27 years old on the 14 July 2027. Additionally, each two-boat team shall have one further crew member who is either female, or under 27 years old on the 14 July 2027. For the avoidance of doubt, any individual sailor can fulfil only one of the age or gender criteria.
No ifs, no buts. If you want to sail in the Admiral’s Cup then, between your two boats, you have to take a total of five “diversity” crew. The rule is the brainstorm of the Royal Ocean Racing Club and follows their silly “Steering the Course” gender equity program in 2024. Social engineering comes to offshore racing.
The logic of this mandatory condition is hard to follow. All boats will be compelled to take crew on the basis of their gender or age, not their sailing ability. But for what purpose? There are already plenty of good female crew who earn their berths on merit. Neither are competent male sailors aged 27, or less, difficult to find.
Each team for the Admiral’s Cup comprises a smaller and larger yacht. Yet there is no direction in the rule as to which boats must take the diversity crew. So, all five could end up as rail meat on the larger yacht. Crazy.
Mind you, when it comes to choosing two females for the rail, I’m voting for Sydney Sweeney and Kylie Jenner. Lean out a bit further, girls!
The Bilge Rat
