Amen... Not many sports allow for equal competition between men and women.
Baseball, no. Hockey, no. Tennis, no, Soccer, no. Gymnastics, no. Football, no. Rugby, no. Volleyball, no. Golf, no/sorf of? Basketball, no. Swimming, no.
Sailing, YES and Racecar driving, YES.....
I'm sure I missed a few...
I'd say sailing is one of the least sexist sports out there.
I work for a number of women boat owners who don't have a SO, nor care to at this point.
Maria owns a Grand Banks and she keeps it in tip top shape all while raising two young girls on her own. She got the boat she wanted and no one excluded her. She also joined the club she wanted and they welcomed her with open arms. (ok not a sailor now, but was)
Carol owns and sails a 36' cutter rigged CCA era boat with her young daughter. She sails it solo with her child 95% of the time. She is also in the "club" as a single woman.
Megan owns a 74' foot steel schooner she runs a charter business from. She physically built the boat with a friend and does all the maintenance herself with the help of her hired crew.
Sara, also single, races two nights per week in one design and PHRF. She also joined her club as a single women..
There are so many more and I don't feel Maine is unique in this regard... Compared to most other sports sailing is about the least "sexist" I can think of...
If you want to seek out and find sexism you can always find it. Heck my wife went to Simmons where they preach sexism to the point of it being their currency... It was so bad and disgusted her so much that to this day she has not made a single donation to them because of it....
My sister grew up in very conservative NH and never found racism until she went to a very, very, very liberal university where THEY, the administration, made issue of her skin color. She never had a single issue, that she can recall, growing up in almost all white NH, but as soon as she got to a much more culturally diverse university, there it was, racism, beating down her door...
They made issue of her skin color by constantly offering her extra tutoring or "we think you should join this "minority group" or that one." or special incentives for tuition based on race etc.. Race and her skin color was pointed out to her by her professors and the administration at every turn. Not by the students or her friends....
She finally got so infuriated that she marched herself down to the dean, without and appointment, and tore him a new ARSE HOLE.
"I am an American God dammit and my skin color has nothing to do with what I came her for. NOTHING !!!!!! NO, I don't need your special incentives or "extra help" because of the color of my skin. Go fu¢k yourself if you want to use me as your tool to meet your "quotas"!!"
With that she walked out.....
She then called my mother and told her she though she was just kicked out of college.... My mother listened to her story and told her she did the right thing.
The dean profusely apologized, including written letter of apology on behalf of the university. He also physically walked himself to her dorm room to apologize in-person. Still, despite my sister pointing out this egregious level of insulting racism, at a university, they never changed their policies on "special treatment" based on skin color....Go figure that the most racism my sister ever encountered in her life was from the people who profess the most not to be racist.... :hothead
Sometimes sexism or racism, or any "ism", comes direct from the folks who claim the most not to be..... A thought anyway.....
Sorry for the rant.....