Bad Times

Verified by three different sources, this is bad behavior at its very worst. There is apparently extensive damage to these million dollar boats, all of it incurred by a couple of knucklehead "Rock Stars." Nice job boys. Here is a report from the scene:

So there we were in Annapolis in October for the Senator's Cup.What a nightmare that turned into! Two notable helmsmen, Gavin Brady and Chris Law, certainly presented themselves to be something less than class acts. Class a-holes perhaps. Running Decocean aground was one thing, but Chris Law driving Better Than into Devocean was something else. Offering up lame excuses like "there was nothing I could do", etc. did nothing to lessen the stupidity. We then understand that the two fine gentlemen proceeded to get into a fist fight! We did not see the fight, but I'm surprised no one who saw it charged them with the unsportsmanlike behavior rule. That display of bad behavior had to be the worst I've ever seen.

10/27/05

Chris Law has sent me a couple of e-mail's saying there was no fight, but I've also asked him a couple of times to then write something for us that explains what did happen, but so far he has not responded to the requests. Jeez, you'd think that if indeed nothing happened, one would happily tell the tale. But because we're fair blokes, for now we'll assume that there indeed was no fight, and we'll wait for Law to indeed tell us what then did happen. We're waiting.....

10/31/05

...And The Law Won

Law has been e-mailing us, claiming that there was no fight, so I told him to tell us what did happen. Here is Law's story, and he's sticking to it. And if there indeed was no fight, we're sorry for the rumor not being correct. -Ed.

Start:-

I have been made aware of an article that was published on your website under the heading of "Rumour and Lies" that made several claims that were false and have since resulted in various further stories being published around the world.

I therefore wish to make the following statement:

At the recent Senators Cup racing was curtailed to one day due to bad weather.Three races were held in winds of up to 25 knots.In one of these races the two boats had a pre-start collision which both skippers tried to avoid. A red flag hearing was held under rule 15 by the jury that was made up of two International umpires and the observers from both the boats.

At the hearing although I was helmsmen of the give way boat on port the facts found that I had done all I could to avoid the collision and had the protection under the rules "that a right of way boat cannot alter course in such a way as to prevent the give way boat from keeping clear" I was therefore not liable for the damage that occurred nor was I penalised in anyway.

I also spoke with both owners and appologised for the incident. The head umpire will substantiate any of the above which is clearly not the version of events published in your article.

Your article also claims that I was then involved in a "fist fight" which was substantiated by several different sources.

THIS IS TOTALLY UNTRUE.

Due to the bad weather no further racing was held and I was awarded The Senators Cup on the basis of the one days racing 2:1.At the prizegiving the following evening in my acceptance speech I credited Gavin Brady as being a great sailor with a great future and that I felt fortunate to have won the event.

It was then reported to me that Gavin felt clearly aggrieved by the outcome of the event and was not happy to have been beaten. He and I have known each other a long time and sailed together.

As a mate I went up to him and put my arm around him his reaction surprised me and all who witnessed the incident.There was no physical alteration whatsoever and to those who reported this incident differently I invite you to challenge me on this.

Yours Sincerely,
CHRIS LAW

11/02/05