I got a call from my mom this morning, alerting me to this news clip she had seen a teaser for last night on Boston's Channel 7 News:



Now I know that most stories that appear in the local news aren't actually news at all, but being a sailor, this one especially bugs me.  The "dramatic rescue," was, in fact, a routine exercise from the local harbormaster, helping some kids who couldn't right their 420 after a capsize.

As everyone in the video who knew what they were talking about (the coach, the harbor master, the kids and even their parents) noted, this was really not a big deal.  The local high school sailors capsized, wearing lifejackets and either wetsuits or drysuits, and they couldn't get the boat up again.  It looks like possibly they forgot to put in one of the plugs?

But to the casual observer, this might look like a serious story indeed.  While the words "DRAMATIC RESCUE" and "BLOWN OVER" in big scary font usually used for terms like "WINTER WHITEOUT 2011" or "DANGER IN YOUR DRINKING WATER" may seem funny to sailors who know what's going on, over-protective parents around the state may now be crossing sailing lessons off their list of possibe activities for the young ones.

And as my buddy Ian Wing points out, was it really necessary to bring in the helicopter for this story?  Some say all press is good press, but for a sport that has recently had its reputation for safety damaged by news of catastrophe (as in the case of the San Diego accident) I think we could do without the negative coverage.  It is good for a laugh though.