[pct-l] Sorta OT - Abby Sunderland's reality TV show

Tue Jun 15 13:10:57 CDT 2010

Thank you for getting more in depth about the TV deal, etc.  We see
headlines, or news organizations only go so far and it's gets frustrating
when you don't get the whole story, with all it's nuances.

My thought from the beginning is that I am very supportive of her attempt.
 This is not a kid that was just strapped to a boat and shoved off.  The is
an experienced sailor.  A sailor who made it over half way around the
planet.  When the sailor hit a strong storm, they weathered it.  When the
rigging broke, as what happens to many sailors, they followed the correct
procedures, didn't panic, and called for help.  Everyone is safe, but not by
luck, by preparation and skill.  I think this sailors handling in the most
severe conditions are a testament to their readiness, if she was not ready,
then she would have panicked and died, period.

As for technology allowing people to take greater risks than they otherwise
should, well duh.  We would have never ventured onto boats, cars, planes,
rockets, etc unless technology enabled it.  Is it safer to walk to the
store, or drive there?  Most of us drive.  What about the endless discussion
on this forum about UL hiking.  What risks do all of us take that we
wouldn't have otherwise.  Who carries their GPS, their cell phone, depends
on water caches, etc?  Technology is an enabler for us to reach for new
frontiers, it's how we got to the moon.  I use to find directions to places
I've never been before, it's how I make food in 60 seconds.  I don't think
it's derisive to say that this sailor used technology and otherwise would
never have attempted it, in fact it's hypocritical.

The age should only be factored in when assessing, on the whole, if the
sailor had the skills and the judgement to embark on this voyage.  When she
ran into some equipment failures a few months ago, she wisely called off the
quest to be the youngest soloist and got repairs.  VERY smart judgement, she
chose her safety over a record.  When the weather got rough and disabled her
boat, she handled it with as all sailors would do as I stated previously.
 Again, good skills and judgement.

So I say bravo.  I never had that kind of motivation at that age, but I love
that she did.

On Tue, Jun 15, 2010 at 2:00 AM, David Ellzey <david at xpletive.com> wrote:

> Ken, et al,
>
> I should clarify the question I was asking as I do not think I was all that
> clear. The question I was trying to ask was: do the people on this list
> believe that the Sunderland's were reckless in letting Abby attempt the
> excursion because of her age?
>
> I know little of sailing beyond the basic theory so I cannot even begin to
> judge if she was competent enough or whether her boat was up to the task. I
> also do not know enough to judge to timing of her trip. All of these would
> certainly be valid criticisms from people who know such things. The thing
> that sparked my original post was that 90% of the comments on the news
> article were deriding her and the parents solely due to her age. Since I am
> doing more than a little research on the subject of "Nature Deficit
> Disorder" those comments really struck a chord with me.
>
> Oh, on the other hand it just so happens I know a lot about the world of
> reality television. You should definitely NOT use sensationalist journalism
> for good information on this particular subject. The "reality" of the
> situation is that a no-name and likely shady production company approached
> the Sunderland's well into their preparations for her trip. Apparently the
> family isn't what most people would consider normal. Anyhow, there was no
> "pre-planned" show. Furthermore this production company (one I've never
> heard of) did not have a network deal, they were essentially hoping they
> could sell the concept. As I understand it, none of the networks even gave
> it consideration and the deal with the family has been more or less dead for
> a while now.
>
> So again, setting aside that you (and likely many others with experience)
> believe she was not competent, the boat setup was not sufficient and the
> timing was all wrong. Do you also believe that her young age _alone_ should
> have kept her parents from letting her make the attempt?
>
> BigToe
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
> On Behalf Of Edward Anderson
> Sent: Monday, June 14, 2010 9:10 PM
> To: Ken Murray
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Sorta OT - Abby Sunderland's reality TV show
>
> Ken,
> After reading your two informative posts on the subject and the attached
> article, I have changed my opinion regarding Abby's sailing adventure. I had
> no idea that the boat was less than sea-ready or that her father had
> preplanned selling a "reality" show and was willing to risk his daughters
> life in quest of a "record"- even though it would mean her sailing through
> the Indian Ocean during the stormy season.  I had read about her brother
> Zack's voyage and didn't see any good reason why his sister could not do a
> similar one just because she was a year younger and a girl.  In her case big
> mistakes were made.
> MendoRider
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Ken Murray <kmurray at pol.net>
> To: . <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Mon, June 14, 2010 10:54:56 AM
> Subject: [pct-l] Sorta OT - Abby Sunderland's reality TV show
>
> Sunderland "reality" show preplanned before Abby's misadventure
> 13 June 2010
>
> Sunderland "reality" show was preplanned before Abby's misadventure:
> Adventures in Sunderland (Reality TV Show) Distribution Rights: Magnetic
> Entertainment Exec Producer: Magnetic Entertainment "A family oriented
> Adventure show, based on the Sunderland Family of Thousand Oaks, CA. We
> follow the family in their day-to-day lives as shipbuilder Laurence
> Sunderland and mother/teacher Marianne try to balance work and family."
>
>
> http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/sail_kid_parents_set_cour_for_tv_crGRuKCVBcBCM5v3s23ULK
>
>
> I heard she was never even in the balloon, I mean boat.
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