BUTTERFLY SPORTSMANSHIP
at 9.06.2011
by Pam
Days like this past Saturday make me so grateful to be a Butterflyer. Doug is constantly telling me that he loves sailing with the Butterflys and that the difference in the White Rock Lasers and Butterflys is night and day and the Fly competition is top notch.
I’ve sailed in many different fleets around the area and have noted that sailors of like temperament tend to flock together and the fleets themselves tend to take on a distinct personality and temperament. Go sit and watch a fleet start and round marks and you’ll instantly know the temperament of the fleet. Sadly, many ultra competitive fleets have excessive instances of bad sportsmanship in the form of intimidation, foul language, arguing over penalties, etc. and many of their minor infractions are no longer even recognizable as unsportsmanlike. It’s all very distasteful.
One of the most important things you can learn when sailing (and in life) is sportsmanship. When you encounter a good sport, you know it and when you don’t, you know that too. Interestingly, when you encounter someone who is still developing their sportsmanship personality and they flip flop from one to the other, you somehow know they aren’t a finished product yet and their reaction to incidents are often good predictors of which way they will ultimately develop. The choice of fleets they sail with can be good indicators as well.
The White Rock Butterfly fleet, however, is a bit of a paradox. The competition is such that a two time Laser world champion chooses to sail in this fleet and he isn’t always at the front and the same person doesn’t win race after race. And yet beginners feel completely welcome in this fleet. It is rare that you’ll ever hear any yelling or swearing on our course. And the Butterfly sportsmanship can really spoil you.
Doug was filming the races last Saturday and maintaining a running commentary. He was in first place with me and Bruce close behind. He looked back and saw me tack on top of Bruce. Bruce said ‘oh’ in a friendly way that also let me know he took note of the aggressive move on my part. I apologized saying I didn’t mean to do that. Doug’s commentary was, ‘Pam just tacked and made two mistakes. One she tacked right on top of Bruce which I’m sure was an accident and two she tacked into my dirty air’ then about 30 seconds later Doug tacked away to clear my air. Later in that same race Bruce was again behind me and we were on the last leg and I tacked on him again but before doing so said to him that this time it was intentional. Both Bruce and Doug sailed races that were competitive and respectful of others and both beat me across the line. I sailed my best and although I didn’t foul Bruce, I had an instance where I didn’t display the incredible Butterfly sportsmanship.
It speaks volumes about the Butterflys that the competition is so good and yet they try to sail cleanly and respectfully. Week after week and year after year, the Butterflys consistently offer up a silent invitation to a classier way of sailing that is both competitive and a display of a Butterfly sportsmanship that shows respect for everyone on the course and allows a sailor to enjoy the racing experience without the hassle of someone trying to sail ultra aggressively and ruin their race (at least not until the last leg).
After giving some thought to how the fleet has managed to cultivate this wonderful character I decided upon one primary reason. Our core group of Butterflyers have lived and sailed long enough that they’ve have learned to consistently remember … sailing is a gift … and they sail in a way that shows that they feel grateful for that gift and want to share it with others and the competition is secondary.
If we all remember this and apply it consistently, then hopefully we will inspire all who sail with us to sail with gratitude and maybe we will maintain our unique Butterfly sportsmanship for many years to come.
I’ve sailed in many different fleets around the area and have noted that sailors of like temperament tend to flock together and the fleets themselves tend to take on a distinct personality and temperament. Go sit and watch a fleet start and round marks and you’ll instantly know the temperament of the fleet. Sadly, many ultra competitive fleets have excessive instances of bad sportsmanship in the form of intimidation, foul language, arguing over penalties, etc. and many of their minor infractions are no longer even recognizable as unsportsmanlike. It’s all very distasteful.
One of the most important things you can learn when sailing (and in life) is sportsmanship. When you encounter a good sport, you know it and when you don’t, you know that too. Interestingly, when you encounter someone who is still developing their sportsmanship personality and they flip flop from one to the other, you somehow know they aren’t a finished product yet and their reaction to incidents are often good predictors of which way they will ultimately develop. The choice of fleets they sail with can be good indicators as well.
The White Rock Butterfly fleet, however, is a bit of a paradox. The competition is such that a two time Laser world champion chooses to sail in this fleet and he isn’t always at the front and the same person doesn’t win race after race. And yet beginners feel completely welcome in this fleet. It is rare that you’ll ever hear any yelling or swearing on our course. And the Butterfly sportsmanship can really spoil you.
Doug was filming the races last Saturday and maintaining a running commentary. He was in first place with me and Bruce close behind. He looked back and saw me tack on top of Bruce. Bruce said ‘oh’ in a friendly way that also let me know he took note of the aggressive move on my part. I apologized saying I didn’t mean to do that. Doug’s commentary was, ‘Pam just tacked and made two mistakes. One she tacked right on top of Bruce which I’m sure was an accident and two she tacked into my dirty air’ then about 30 seconds later Doug tacked away to clear my air. Later in that same race Bruce was again behind me and we were on the last leg and I tacked on him again but before doing so said to him that this time it was intentional. Both Bruce and Doug sailed races that were competitive and respectful of others and both beat me across the line. I sailed my best and although I didn’t foul Bruce, I had an instance where I didn’t display the incredible Butterfly sportsmanship.
It speaks volumes about the Butterflys that the competition is so good and yet they try to sail cleanly and respectfully. Week after week and year after year, the Butterflys consistently offer up a silent invitation to a classier way of sailing that is both competitive and a display of a Butterfly sportsmanship that shows respect for everyone on the course and allows a sailor to enjoy the racing experience without the hassle of someone trying to sail ultra aggressively and ruin their race (at least not until the last leg).
After giving some thought to how the fleet has managed to cultivate this wonderful character I decided upon one primary reason. Our core group of Butterflyers have lived and sailed long enough that they’ve have learned to consistently remember … sailing is a gift … and they sail in a way that shows that they feel grateful for that gift and want to share it with others and the competition is secondary.
If we all remember this and apply it consistently, then hopefully we will inspire all who sail with us to sail with gratitude and maybe we will maintain our unique Butterfly sportsmanship for many years to come.
9/06/2011 11:43 AM
I have a slightly different attitude. I do enjoy fair competition first. By being respectful and allowing those that make mistakes (especially those learning) to continue without much ado, they will continue to compete in the next race and hopefully provide more competition.
9/06/2011 12:45 PM
Anonymous, are you saying it's a sting operation? Get a girl in and hooked and then pounce? No. I've been sailing here too long. No two ways about it, they're just plain classy sailors but I have noticed that as I've gotten up to the competition, they've turned the heat up (but in a fun way).
9/06/2011 8:57 PM
Fabulous blog and true. C. also read it and remarked that he liked it and how well written it is. If you knew him as I do, you would know that is a huge compliment. We also thought about it and realized the Snipe fleet also has excellent sportsmanship qualities and has been very welcoming to us. I love the line "One of the most important things you can learn when sailing (and in life) is sportsmanship." Excellent!