Folks may have seen an article in the S.F. Bay Guardian that was posted yesterday by Donald Lawson on the Black Sailors page on Facebook. It talks about an effort by a black sailor, Charles Kithcart, to mount an entry in the next America's Cup race. His plan is to put together a campaign that would raise funds and build a boat to compete in what's known as the Defender Series of the America's Cup. A boat in the Defender Series would vye against the entry from the Golden Gate Yacht Club (which is the holder of the cup) to defend the cup against foreign contenders in 2013. However, Charles has met a big road block: the GGYC has rejected his application, prompting him to file suit in New York Supreme Court. His suit is being handled by McDermott Will & Emery, a powerful New York law firm whose clients include Merrill Lynch, the NYTimes and others. His suit alleges that GGYC is violating the Deed of Trust, which is the document that governs the America's Cup event.

Here is the S.F. Bay Guardian article: http://www.sfbg.com/2012/01/10/capitalizing-auld-mug?page=0%2C0

The article struck my attention and I called Charles to learn more about what's going on.

My impression after talking with Charles for about 15-20 minutes is that he sounds like a very serious person. I told him I would inform other black sailors with the hope that word would get spread around.

Charles said he began sailing in 1988. A couple of experiences got him interested in the America's Cup. He said that during 1989-90 he crewed out of Rhode Island aboard Shamrock V, the J-class America's Cup boat built and raced by Thomas Lipton (of Lipton tea fame) during cup events in the 1930s. (http://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=yacht-charter&charter=syshamrock-v-1523) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock_V. He adds that he also worked for America3, the successful 1992 cup defender nicknamed "America cubed."

The Guardian article says that Charles' $25,000 race application fee was at first accepted by GGYC but then rejected on grounds that it believed Charles wouldn't have "the necessary resources to compete." According to Charles, GGYC "did everything that it could to keep me out."

Charles said he plans to launch a Web site in a few weeks that will explain his plans in more detail.

He is currently seeking funding and apparently has on his side a couple of high-powered black Wall Street types. One of them is the former CEO of an investment banking firm who is a member of the New York Yacht Club, which was the cup defender for many, many years. It strikes me that for a firm like McDermott to agree to handle this case suggests that it sees something substantive. I don't image that McDermott is in the business of taking on frivilous legal complaints.

Charles has ideas about marketing, as well as engaging and rewarding donors and supporters. He also cited the names of three black sailors from Antigua, Barbados and the Seychelles, who competed in the Olympics and thus have world-class match racing experience.

Charles mentioned plans to engage young people in sailing through his nonprofit, Africa Diaspora Maritime, via the North Carolina school system, where it is based.

This whole effort sounds exciting and illustrates that yet another black sailor is out there involved and trying to make a difference in the sport that we all love and enjoy.

Baxter Smith
Universal Sailing Club

Story of Interest from Baxter Smith - Universal Sailing Club