What would you do?? Really...

[Giulietta]

food for thought....(I am not whining, just don't know what to say)....

Imagine 34 kids, all aged 10 to 12, all racing Optimists...

Imagine they are all told they will have 4 races....best score wins...

Imagine they all get there, start race one, the winds picks up to 25 knots...only 21 finish race 1

Imagine the comitee staff anounces race 2, 3 and 4 is cancelled due to wind

Imagine they send the kids home, so they go...

Imagine that once the kids start sailing back, the kids from a certain club were told (by the comitee) to stay and go around the markers even though they are only 5

Imagine the kids that got the best places in race 1 are now placed from 6th position down, because to make the club that never wins score, they counted races that were cancelled

Imagine now they are saying no one with authority sent the kids home...

Imagine a kid that got 2nd is now 7th, over a "office sleeze ball move"

Iamgine having to explain this to a 10 year old, when he sees the results

Imagine his look....

Imagine what he would say...

This is what he said....

"let them win Dad..they never win and this makes them happy"....

And I thought I had not much to learn from 10 year old kids.....there is hope for the World...I swear I think so.....

[djodenda]

You are rightly proud of your son. Good for you all.

[poopdeckpappy]

I say the 10 old kid is the real winner where it counts

[CharlieCobra]

Alex. I'm really not surprised to hear that from Fred, not at all. It's unfortunate more children aren't like him, especially here in the USA.

Fred. You're a winner in my book regardless of position in a regatta. Good on ya.

[citation34]

That youngster is more of a man than most men. What a sailor! Bless him!

Mark

[teshannon]

Alex,
I gotta agree with every comment above. Fred is the real winner as are you. I wish my kids had that attitude when they were his age. He's obviously been raised well. I say congratulations to Fred.

[uspirate]

Alex, i'm at a loss for words. but we know you're still proud of Fred as are we!

[Faster]

Bad race management, perhaps, but one good kid!

[buckeyesailor]

This reinforces my previous position: When I grow up I want to be FRED!

[blt2ski]

And tomorrow the sun will still rise! Or at least we hope it will.

Sometimes as Fred is implying, it is better to shrug it off than worry about what might have been! Or at least that is what I am hearing/seeing.

Then again, while Fred may have been enjoying himself out there, it may have been more than most can handle, and he knew it, and would prefer to see all 35 finish vs 21. not sure personally why the 14 did not finish, hopefully not because they flipped or equal. There are multiple reasons to not worry about why. You raised a good kid!

Marty