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I generally find George Huxtable's contributions to this list
well-thought-out and logical.  As I have been busy with other things, I
might have missed his recent posting on the subject of the Gipsy Moth IV,
had I this unusual and inflammatory subject line not surprised me.

We do not have enough information about this particular grounding to know
whether the youth, gender, asserted membership in the British peerage, or
even lack of gray hair of either the skipper or the first mate on duty at
the time of the grounding had anything in particular to do with the
grounding.

I do know that Mr. Huxtable is well acquainted with the scientific method,
and generally backs up his assertions with relevant facts and well-reasoned
arguments.  In this case, a statistical study of correlation between factors
such as grizzle-ness, age, gender and nobleness of the captain and/or first
mate and outcomes of voyages in various types of vessels would be in order.
It would be illogical, and quite out of character, for him to form such a
strongly-held opinion without some such evidence to back it up.

As Lu Abel and Peter Fogg have quite correctly pointed out, it is possible
for skippers of either gender to make mistakes, and for skippers of either
gender to perform in a commendable manner.  Mere anecdotes, of course,
cannot either prove or disprove the assertion that 30-something female
members of the British peerage are generally unsuited to the command of a
sailing vessel, no matter how much relevant experience they may possess.

I myself would recommend that, from this point forward, we refrain from
offering any more of these illustrative anecdotes and await the publication
of the statistical evidence.  Otherwise, the discussion will shed more heat
than light on the subject.

Cheers,

Renee