Seamanship and the media

[Guillermo]

From the pages of Scuttlebut:
...Robin Knox-Johnston is not the first (nor will he be the last) to suffer from the insidious pressure of the media, and the need to "keep in touch". While he's down below giving an interview, his boat wipes out, and his chances in the race for which he needs sponsorship, and thus publicity, are perhaps fatally damaged. This is a self-inflicted wound. Remember Mike Golding, who hit the bricks while posing for a helicopter camera crew off New Zealand? And running aground nearing the finish of his solo race in order to time his arrival artificially with that of the sponsors' VIP guests? This is madness. No one blames RK-J or Golding, who are consummate seamen. It's that giving interviews and posing for photographers is in conflict with their innate seamanship. R K-J may be able to fix his problems. It could have been much worse. So why don't we just leave them alone. As we did when Robin first made his name, before the days of constant communication and media harassment. We don't need to provoke news stories; just report them. My advice to Robin next time is: if the phone rings, don't answer it."

Maybe media coverage of sailing events is important, but things seem to be getting to a ridiculous point.

[safewalrus]

Better still "unplug it until YOU need it!"

[Guillermo]

I am not sure if I like at all this kind of media coverage for high seas racing. It's becoming a kind of 'Big Brother' thing. We'll soon see those brave sailors through a series of web cams showing the world every second of their life aboard.
Where has all poetry of long solo sailing gone? I'd rather would like to wait to read the book from the guy/girl some months after the race/adventure and put my imagination to work, as it was when I was a child (Moitessier, Slocum and the like)
Am I getting too old...?

[safewalrus]

Troble is to get sponsorship these days everything has to be "in your face", people are so fickle this disappearing for months on end is no longer allowed (possibly to do with the speed of modern communications etc) we got to see every meal thrown across the cabin, hear every swearword as you fall off a wave and the rest - no mystery anymore Sorry Guillermo that's modern living for you - the answer??? Don't race I guess! Maybe the 21st Century ain't so grand!

Yes guillermo You and Me both - if that's progress you can keep it!