05 May 2008

Some Historical Perspective

The feud with the Single Handed Trans Packers is, in many ways, over. I've either been challenged or given a peace offering with the Official Pack Cup. My relationship with my next-slip neighbor is civil and friendly even if bitter resentment is still festering just below-decks. It's not taking up much thought mostly because I know we have a better race. Why else would one of "them" come over to our side?

I sailed with this former SH Trans-packer this past Saturday. Very friendly guy, excellent sailor, and didn't once quote Camus. Couldn't ask for anything more. I quizzed him a bit about the trip, focusing on the all-important "what should I wear". So he sent me his log from the SHTP that he won (2004) to give an idea about the conditions.

I came across this very-important gem and I think it might be one of the earliest known artifacts of the feud:
Day 14 of race:
14:00 Pac cup boat goes zooming by. Couldn’t get them on VHF.
Hmmm, a lot is said in that little blurb. On the surface, it's a Pac Cup boat going to roughly the same place and he couldn't raise them on the radio. But dig a bit into it and you'll see the real tension:
  • Pac Cup boats are faster, this bothers SH Trans Packers
  • Pac Cup boats are haughty and won't even bother picking up the phone despite the luxury of extra crew
So I think that's the genesis of this feud. SH Trans Packer just don't know that in the "Fun Race to Hawaii", everyone is just down below eating ice cream and watching movies. No disrespect is intended; we just don't have time in between all the frivolity to be bothered with such things as keeping watch or slowing down to say "Hi" to other boats out there.

We'll get this sorted out, maybe we need to make a peace offering of our own. Next time we see a SHTPer out there, we'll toss them a beer from our overflowing refrigerator.

6 comments:

Tillerman said...

Forget the peace offering. The Pac-Cupper that didn't answer the phone had it right the first time. As Camus said, "Real nobility is based on scorn, courage, and profound indifference."

Anonymous said...

Don't you know that Phil was assigned to your boat in a clandestine attempt by a rogue group of SHTPers to take the "fun" out of your pack cup. When the head suddenly backs up and books from the likes of Nietzsche, Kierkegaard and Camus start taking the place of the frozen popsicles and pudding cups in the fridge, you'll wish you'd answered that phone!

EVK4 said...

ah crap, and I was "volunteered" for head rebuild duty by none other than....Phil. You guys are good.

Anonymous said...

As Nietzsche said, "One ought to hold on to one's heart; for if one lets it go, one soon loses control of the head too."

Zen said...

I think ur on to something

Tillerman said...

That dude Nietzsche knew a thing or two about heads.