A Paddy Boyd posted the following comment in Scuttlebutt:

From Paddy Boyd: As a member of ISAF’s Youth and Development Committee I opened the link to the Lightnings in Lagos story in ‘Butt 2347 with interest. And it was interesting, but as I read the daily reports and looked at the photos, I was struck by the apparent complete lack of black competitors in the sailing photos.

To which Len Davies and Skip Dieball replied:

From Len Davies, Zeekoe Vlei, South Africa: In response to Patti Boyd – Letters 2348 – re the absence of non-Caucasian faces in the coverage of the Lightnings in Lagos, a few questions are appropriate. What is significant of the absence of certain skin tones? As a member of the ISAF Committee entrusted with Youth Development, Patti, if on top of the job at hand, should be more aware than most that one of the greatest obstacles to overcome in encouraging the African Youth to sail is an absolute fear of anything related to the water.

What have Patti and his fellow committee members been doing to address the matter of Development in Africa? They have been conspicuous by their absence in South Africa, leading us to get on with it ourselves – refer our crew on board “Shosholoza” in the AICC. I implore Patti to publish a picture of an Irish sailing team, possibly their Optimists, showing black faces as testament to his efforts in his home waters. What an inspiration that would be!

From Skip Dieball: In response to Paddy Boyd's letter regarding the Lightning Class in Nigeria, I have to agree that I too found it odd that the makeup of the Nigerian sailing scene wasn't more diverse. I had talked with the Commodore of the Lagos Yacht Club and he mentioned that they are like a lot of yacht clubs around the world, searching for members. They have an open policy and welcome any/ all that are interested in enjoying sailing. Their members include native Nigerians, but mostly expatriates on assignment in Nigeria...and typically short-term contracts, which adds to the membership challenge(s).

To which Derek replied:

From Derek Bouwer, Commodore, Algoa Bay Yacht Club, Port Elizabeth, South Africa: (In reply to Paddy Boyds letter in Issue 2348 regarding the lack of ethnic diversity among the Nigerian Lightening team) While I cannot speak for Nigeria, here at ABYC we run a very good Community development sailing school in partnership with the Love Life organization (as do many other clubs, sporting disciplines, and institutions). The mission is to serve all colours of the skin tone spectrum and to comply with the Government request to bring a previously white dominated sports to those who where previously disadvantaged, though we face many obstacles.

Soccer is the sport in Africa, with all other sports lagging behind and sailing, I am afraid to say, is a dismal quadrillionth in the list. Swimming also lags far behind, and because so many people have a fear of drowning, most of our prospective sailors come through swimming lessons before getting their bums into boats. We have progressed from white sailing coaches to the sailing school being run and coached by black sailors who have come up through the coaching ranks.

Unfortunately, the image of sailing suffers from the stereotyping, in all spectrum of the of the skin tone spectrum, as being the playground of the ultra rich and as such a lot of people shy clear of sailing. Disappointing as it may be, these factors have a direct bearing on sailing in South Africa and I would say sailing in Africa in general. It will thus take some time for the complexion of sailing to change in both South Africa and Africa, but we are working on it.

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