How come Mayfair was allowed to paddle on the Island race with no PFD's? Some of their paddlers had the belt pfd's on, while some had none and 2 had actually GWN issued PFDs. Isn't this against the rules for the island?

OMG what the hell...no one who was in the A division final cares.

Agreed. Go stir poop somewhere else.

Wait a second. Maybe I'm not understanding the original poster's intentions, but I disagree with you guys.

It doesn't seem to me that he/she is bashing Mayfair or suggesting in any way that they cheated or that the race would have been any closer had they worn regular PFDs. What is true though, is that we should all play by the same rules (regardless of how good we are) and that if they can paddle without PFDs (which I don't even know if that's true or not) then everybody else should be allowed to as well. Personally I prefer to paddle without one, so it would suck to know that I could have done so without anyone saying anything to me.

It just seems that the original poster was curious, that's all.

i think the other posters are miffed that the original poster does not provide any proof with his allegation. that is why i think they claim he is trying to stir up trouble.

Who waits at the staging area and counts PFDs???? How about bum pad thickness? Did you catch any violations?

I was in the Mayfair crew and I'm not aware that any of our paddlers did not have PFDs... all I know is that I had one.

I don't find that my own PFD constrains me in any way... however, I sure like it when the paddler in front of me either can use the belt style PFDs, or doesn't have to use one at all.

For all we know this is same dumbass who was talking **** about CSDC. Just causing trouble and getting a hell of a kick out of it.

Well if there is proof then I would want the opportunity to race without PFDs as well. Mayfair doesn't need the "edge" of not wearing a PFD. But if they can do it then we all should have been able to.

Please read section 7:2.

http://www.dragonboats.com/documents/2009Registration_Package.pdf

4:11 pm = Original poster.

isn't it the the Toronto Port authority that governs the Toronto waterways and not the Canadian Cost Guard? I have photos of the Mayfair races. Seats 2,3R,4,5R,6L,7R, 8R,9L,10 All had no PFDs on. Hyrdos, Hanalei, Big Fish, CSDC, Piranhas wore pfds including the stinky GWN ones.

Does it mean that teams at the GWN Challenge event in september can now choose not to wear PFDs without being given a time penalty or worse being disqualified.
So if the Coast Guard says you can wear any approved floatation device, why does the Toronto Port authority say you can't. If not the event Organizers will not be given a permit. This was not a sanctioned Sport regatta event. Mayfair should give back their prize money and medals. The on water referees should have penalized any team without a PFD, albeit an "A" division team or an "M" division one.

"Seats 2,3R,4,5R,6L,7R, 8R,9L,10 All had no PFDs on."


Did they have the inflatable belt type? Could you tell from the photos?

No Inflatable PFDs were visible from the loading dock and race photos

Let's move on from this ridiculousness. Two weeks ago Mayfair won. Personally I don't care and look forward to racing with our Mayfair-based teammates in Prague.

please share these photos of proof

I think the original post is pertinent. Although i'm sure that I saw other teams with no pfd or lifejackets too. And rule 7.2 as noted above does not say anything about NOT wearing a PFD, just that personal PFDs are acceptable at the Toronto Island regatta.

The Toronto Port Authority gets their marching orders from Provincial and National level organizations. Just call Angus.

The PFD/Lifejacket certification organization for Canada is Underwriters Laboratories of Canadahttp://www.ulc.ca/index.asp

"Seats 2,3R,4,5R,6L,7R, 8R,9L,10 All had no PFDs on."

The paddlers who normally sit in those seats all own inflatable belt type PFDs. I know for a fact that 5R had a belt PFD (because I sat behind him).

There is no way Jim would risk having his crew disqualified by having members paddle without PFDs.

Kevin?

the right side would be
3 Kevin
4 John S
5 Gavin M
6 Pete K(paddled on sunday)
7 Thomas

take your pick
guess its not hard to figure out who's seat 5L !!

No. Kevin sits in 3R and always wears an inflatable too.

Anon @ 10:29 PM
sitting behind 5R could technically include 6r, 7r, 8r, 9r and 10r

Yes, but from 7R back, they would not be able to see the back of 5R. Only 5L, 6R, 6L, 7L and 8L would have a line of sight to 5R's back.

i think it's pretty clear to us now that Mayfair isn't really that good. they're just a bunch of CHEATERS. that weight advantage of leaving the pfd's on shore CLEARLY made the difference.

you're EXPOSED!

I concur. Mayfair must have gained at LEAST 10 seconds by not wearing PFD's. Nice try Mayfair! We have our eyes on you next race!

I'll jump in the mix. It's ridiculous for the previous poster to mock the original post about concerns regardingly fairplay. Talk about using a straw man.

Mayfair is a fast crew and may have won regardless of what pfds they did or did not use, however the rules are the rules. If you cross the line or break the rules, you shouldn't be acquitted based on fame or presumption of being the ones that will win. That all said, I'm still shocked that someone took the time to bring it up so much after the fact and counted the individual paddlers / sides that didn't have pfds !

Every Mayfair paddler had a PFD.

Anon @ 2:43pm
There is far worse a problem than what you suggested, and it is this: the poster with the counts above seems to be outright lying about his findings, to a point that it appears that (presumably) Mayfair paddlers need to post and justify their innocence on this forum.

We should also start measuring the thickness of their butt pads.

I hope the above poster is following suit in terms of sarcasm when it comes to bashing Mayfair. If you're on a team that has beaten them, then maybe you can talk a little smack...otherwise..WTF?!

I heard a few Mayfair members have gone prematurely bald to reduce wind resistance. Is that legal?

the balding must have resulted from excessive steroid use. Take it easy Mayfair, you don't need to look like the mofos.

the photo I just saw had 11 of the mayfair crew without traditional
lifejackets on....

And did the others have inflatable life jackets? Yes. What a stupid thread.

No one, because it didn't happen.

Look, if Mayfair raced without PFD's it would be my responsibility as a team captain to see this and then bring it to the attention of the officials, maybe even launch a protest. If I don't, and they get away with it, it's my fault. Yes, officials should notice it but you can't depend on them to see everything. Expect, yes. Depend, no.

Moot point (or is that Moo point?) since IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!!!

Congrat's again, Mayfair, and good luck on Saturday.

Yes, good luck Mayfair - as you won't be contending only with tough competition on water, but also a few nerdy forum dwellers who will be stalking you and following your every move to make sure that you have a PFD on and that it's zipped up all the way.

It's tough to launch a formal protest since the elite DB community is so small. Especially when its against a team that can beat you even if they are carrying 10 200lbs sandbags. I'm not saying Mayfair did cheat, but to put the onus on captains to make a formal protests is a little unfair since you are expecting them and their team to be publicly ostracized for attacking a sacred cow. This forum would be stuffed with people saying that Team X's captain couldn't beat Mayfair legitimately so he/she had to get them with PFD technicalities. No captain or team wants to be put in the crosshairs like that.

"the photo I just saw had 11 of the mayfair crew without traditional
lifejackets on...."

So, post the photo!!!

11:58 does make a good point about. In the end perhaps it's about how the festival was run, and how perhaps rules, if there were any, were or were not followed. If organizers can't follow their own rules, then situations like this can and do occur (all the time).

No one came even close to beating the sacred cow this year. Can't wait to see what happens this weekend.

Definition of sacred cow: "One that is immune from criticism, often unreasonably so"

Since when is Mayfair immune from criticism? Have you read any of the other threads on this site?

This thread started out with an accusation that Mayfair paddlers weren't wearing life jackets, and that the organizers didn't do anything about it. Someone says they have photographic proof, but they won't share the photo.

Then it seems as if the argument was that Mayfair paddlers weren't wearing full PFDs, and instead were using inflatables (which were allowed).

Now it has morphed into a discussion of how Mayfair is treated as a sacred cow!

If you think Mayfair has achieved its success only through cheating, then make sure you protest their infractions. Otherwise, paddle better and train harder.

Yes, the weekend races should be good.

This would never have happened at an FMG event.

That should be...

"This race would never have happened if it was an FMG event."

BF YAWN!

Seriously guys...I paddle on Mayfair and we all raced with PFD's. Many if not most own inflatables...

inflatables are a problem, regattas don't and won't supply them and teams that don't commit to them will always feel a bit cheated, if you are a competitive team the sport just got more expensive

I thought inflatables are not recognized by the Port Authority or the
Canadian Coast Guard.

Does that mean GWN will accept them at all their events now ?
Or was this just because Mayfair was racing ?

who cares!!!

Cambodia cares

Sandy still is not Santastic even though he paddles for Mayfair.