6th March 2026
“The bureaucracy is expanding to meet the needs
of the expanding bureaucracy.”
—Oscar WildeI'm concerned about how I pitch this “thought bubble” because I would never want to be perceived as a reckless maverick, unconcerned with safety at sea, but.....I'm crewing in a Cat 2 race this weekend. It's only 110 miles and there are 22 boats entered. For this short race the compliance requirements are onerous, and I'm only a crew member, not a poor owner.
The bureaucracy seems to driven by fear of litigation and insurance companies, rather than a genuine desire to make people safe. Compare this to the story below about MJOJO. I have absolutely no doubt that the crew aboard MJOJO were less safe than the sailors that will be racing to King Island. However, by the time the dhow’s crew made it back to Europe they would have become far better seafarers than almost all of us who have dutifully ticked the boxes of compliance. We must be careful not to regulate our sport towards incompetence. From the team at SWS…
Fair Winds!
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