Not Unduly Offensive?
Balancing the much needed removal of offensive behaviour from sailing, with not caving in to the “fun police”, is something that we all need to think about whether we sail wooden, plastic, Port Kembla pine or concrete boats.
The yacht in question
The article below posted on the ABC news website this week , and the pile on that ensued on the Sailing Anarchy Forum, provide a perfect opportunity to gauge our communities mood. Let us know what you think!
Woman takes on Mornington Yacht Club over backdown on 'misogynistic' boat name ban
By Zilla Gordon
A Melbourne woman has taken a yacht club to task over its backflip on a ban on a lewd boat name.
When Kitty O'Sullivan planned to move to the coast south of Melbourne in her retirement a few years ago, she and her husband set their sights on joining the Mornington Yacht Club.
While her and her husband both became members, Ms O'Sullivan said she had concerns about the names of some of the boats moored at the club's marina.
"I'm in the boat yard and my husband and with two of our daughters in their 20s and my husband points out this boat name Himalayan Women," she said.
Ms O'Sullivan said the boat name, with its double meaning, was "misogynistic".
She said two other boats — Screaming Seamen and Big Black C*ck — also troubled her.
"I bumped into the commander and pointed [the boats] out and was told to write a letter of complaint to the board," she said.
The letter about Himalayan Women was tabled at a board meeting in September last year, where it was decided the owner had two weeks to rename the boat.
However, Ms O'Sullivan said another meeting with more senior-ranked members was called, which overturned the push to rename the boat.
"I received a letter from the board saying thank you for your interest, and that it has been dealt with," she said.
In correspondence sighted by the ABC, the club's vice commodore, John Underwood, said there was not "enough evidence" for the boat name Himalayan Women to be changed.
It said the club had received a letter from the owner of the boat and "a number of both female and male club members were surveyed, and the boat name to them has been deemed not to be unduly offence (sic),"
Mr Underwood wrote that her complaint had however prompted the board to investigate its position on the appropriateness of boat names.
Unhappy with the response, Ms O'Sullivan contacted Sailing Australia who she said understood her concern.
"Sailing Australia spoke with the club's Commodore and reminded him of his responsibilities," she said.
"But nothing was done."
Speaking out Sparks Backlash
In March, Ms O'Sullivan reached out to The Mornington Peninsula News and The Age saying she hoped it would put pressure on the club.
Instead, she was sent a letter saying she may have brought the club's name into disrepute and asking her to confirm that matter was resolved.
"Of immediate concern to the board is the prospect of your comments having causing (sic) reputation damage to MYC that could jeopardise important funding arrangements including sponsorship that enables us to provide important community programs and donates to the MYC Foundation which assist youth training programs," the letter said.
"The board originally agreed that they would request that the boat owner change the name, however after verbal communications and a formal written response was received from the boat owner.
"After assessing this feedback, along with the boat owner's response and bearing in mind that this boat has sailed extensively at many clubs on Port Phillip for approximately a decade without apparent complaint, the board resolved at the following meeting not to take any action in relation to the name."
The letter said the club had implemented a policy to "ensure the appropriateness of boat names going forward".
It said it had identified "several" boats that might contravene the policy and that those names would be changed.
Mornington Yacht Club has been contacted for comment.
Sailing Australia, a club sponsor, declined to comment.
Mornington Harbour