Paul "Tony Soprano" Henderson?

As you know we welcome reader rants on almost every subject. After all it is you the sailors who propel this sport, and it is your opinions, in our estimation, that are the ones that really matter. Hlane ripped into Henderson and we gladly throw it out there for y'all's consideration. Good times - Ed.

If you've been reading the current disputes between ISAF President, Paul Henderson and the Swedish Match Tour this is nothing new in the legacy that Henderson has reaped over his years as the President of our governing body. As the Saddam Hussein of the sailing world. Henderson runs ISAF as his own little fiefdom. He doesn't report to anyone, makes policy without consulting his Executive Committee and travels around the world on a huge ISAF expense account. Remember the book "Lord of the Rings"? This guy makes Juan Antonio Samaranch, the ex-President of the IOC look like a rookie when it comes to exploiting the hubris of his position.

I am not sure how this guy got elected to the Presidency of an international sports federation but his track record only speaks for itself. This is the same guy who:

As the Chairman of the '96 Toronto Olympic bid, Mr. Henderson gave a top IOC official's son a "summer job" during the bid process that was later reported as part of the Salt Lake Olympic bid scandal.

  1. He eliminated women's match racing from the Olympics and brought us the Yingling.
  2. He all but destroyed the ORC.
  3. He eliminated match racing from the Olympics getting rid of one of the only television friendly aspects of our sport.
  4. He called all of the sailors at last years Heyere Olympic Week "cheaters".
  5. Alienated so many that ISAF has only one sponsor (of an award) left.

Henderson likes to fashion himself as a blue-collar guy made good with his plumber background in building a business in Toronto. But any of us know that making it as a successful commercial plumber in any big city means playing by a different set of rules then the rest of us. The Tony Soprano style may work in Toronto plumbing but it certainly has no place at the head of a sport governing body and as our representative to the IOC.

Next on the Henderson hit list is the America's Cup. It should be interesting to watch this story develop as he is trying to exhort huge fees from the Alinghi guys this next time around. And for what? Where does all the money go???

HLane