Collective gasps of horror travelled like a Mexican wave around the sport-following world the moment the presumed victor of the 2012 Sydney to Hobart yacht race was handed a protest notice instead of the highly prized Illingworth trophy.  OMG drama!  Quick!  Someone get popcorn!

For those not glued to their TVs that fateful day, the protest notice claimed that the tactician of the winning Investec Loyal yacht, Michael Coxon, illegally sought “outside assistance” from an ABC helicopter pilot when he asked about rival super-maxi Wild Oats XI’s sails after an interview.  In other words, he was accused of cheating.

The finish of the race had already been a thrilling one, with Loyal beating the race favourite Wild Oats XI by a mere three minutes and eight seconds.  But the sudden change in race status upgraded the climate within global communication channels from blustery… to cyclonic.  And by “communication channels”, I mean informal and formal means of gaining information about the world around us… magazines, TV, twitter, RSS feeds, texting… or just good ole’ fashioned talking.  All of them… simultaneously struck by a lightening bolt of betrayal.

Now… I understand the need for rules to level the playing field and the requirement for systems to maintain the fine balance of equity, but I am always stunned by how quickly some people will jump at the opportunity to sink the dagger into someone else.  “He’s a cheat!” they cried.  And I wondered how long it took for the shock to sink in after such a startling sting.  The ache of betrayal in each crew member’s chest must have lingered long after the assailant wiped the blade clean to slice up some brandy soaked Christmas cake to numb the pain.

So with great interest, I watched the Loyal yacht crew and how they handled the protest.  Unlike the way I have sometimes handled criticism, they did not resemble an unmanned sailing craft, bobbing around uncontrollably at the mercy of the waves, wind and storms.  Instead, they stopped their anticipatory celebrations, changed tack, and addressed the dire change in weather strategically, directly and calmly.  They realized they could not change the direction of the wind, but they could adjust the sails.

From the brief forays into historical reading that I have done, it seems that there have always been people in the world who will leap at any opportunity to sink the ship of another.  But then at the other end of the spectrum, there are people checking that the sails of their competitors are in good working order. Yin and yang?  Maybe.

While I cringe to write this, I wonder if maybe, to some extent, the world needs those few people who are always on the prowl and ready to attack.  Contrary to popular belief, maybe our society actually depends on the vocal minority who are closely watching and reporting on how neighboring yachts are tacking through the tide.  Because while we may desperately try not to, sometimes we can’t help but listen to their judgements, as it can help us determine how we will approach the same dire straits…. and how we’ll be judged for it.  And further, maybe the knowledge that these people are out there, helps make us all accountable for every single thing we do.  Is accountability such a bad thing, then?  And is it possible to accept this grassroots approach to accountability as a necessary evil… a centuries old social safeguard?  If we did, then perhaps we could focus on ways to enhance it.  And maybe the way to do that is to think about how we respond to these kinds of attacks.

An international jury meeting at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania soon after the race, heard – and accepted – that Loyal was not seeking “outside assistance” from an ABC helicopter pilot when Coxon asked about rival Wild Oats XI’s sails.  Instead it emerged that Coxon, the chief executive of a company that supplied the $250,000 mainsail to Wild Oats, was asking out of concern for his business’s reputation.  He was, ironically, being “loyal” to his customers and company.  And so it wasn’t the protest, but the way he reacted to it, that defined him.  He maintained accountability for his actions and, in doing so, was able to display integrity & good sportsmanship.  He won.

Life, like the morphing weather, will rage on regardless of my rantings and ravings. We can’t change the weather…  just as we can’t change the people around us.  It seems that adjusting the sails is a much smarter way to react.  So rather than try to avoid negative feedback completely by “playing it safe”, I’ll remember the Loyal yacht crew and their willingness to not just make themselves vulnerable to tempestuous nautical conditions, but to tackle any wild weather that comes their way strategically, directly and calmly.  And in doing so… emerge as a clear winner.

For more whimsical insights into the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, check out my weekly intro to Love New Blogs and while you are there, have a squizz at the wonderful new blogs emerging into the blogosphere.

Today, I’m linking up with the gorgeous Jess for iBOT. More lovely blogs there too!

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