In an advertisement on COM yesterday we announced the launch of a series of Sim builds in the United Sailing Sims of Second Life that will go under the common name of Balboa Estates. Yesterday, Transparent Banshee (owner of Greenhouse, Mar Manor, Mare Nostrum and Aldabra) and I created the Balboa Peninsula and its world famous Wedge body surfing spot where the Peninsula and the Newport Jetty join. This area is the seaward entrance to Newport Bay and the intial parcels of the Balboa Estates.
The first photo above shows a view from Parcel #2 in Newport Bay. The emphasis of these parcels will be open water residental islands with wide open vistas to scenes one might expect to find in in places along the Pacific Coast and in the South Pacific. Note in the image that the parcel overlooks the area of Balboa Peninsula which seperates the open ocean from Newport Bay (in both SL and RL). You can see the Newport Jetty and the famous Wedge body surfing spot where the Peninsula and jetty join.
While sitting on the beach this morning I was entralled by the passage of a Tradewinds square master followed seconds later by another of SL’s big boats. Images two and three taken only seconds apart. These are the kinds of views that will be common in the Balboa area of the United Sailing Sims.
Another view we are about to enjoy is the view of the Big Cat races from the man himself, Hans Zinnemann. Hans will write about events related to the Big Cat Cup and Big Cat races. He joins Delinda Dyrssen as our second columnist from the Sailor’s Cove area. We are glad to be able to get some input from that area despite some opposition.
Past coverage of events in Sailor’s Cove has been spotty since Tasha Kostolany is apparently on an active campaign to deny readers of SLSailing.Com information about activities there. She is the prime suspect in this week’s removal of all TYC listings in the SL Calendar (listings made by other SC residents since she refuses to post to the public calendar). This action forces the SL sailing community to look in two places to find events. SLSailing.Com believes the active removal of public information is wrong and should be condemned by the community the information is intended to serve. Steps have been taken to prevent such actions in the future.
18 responses so far ↓
1 Jeancarlo Kepler // Mar 7, 2008 at 1:43 pm
I believe its a sad situation, making apart the Personal problem, SC is a great Sailing are and its just a waste that for this sort of problems, Sailing areas cant be “larger” because at the end Sailing is all that matters to all of us..
a Childish and selfish attitude of 1 person is ruining something that can be greater and i agree with Mark on the fact that this sort of actions must be condemned and actions must be taken specially if its relies on an obsessive controlling nature such as Tasha Kostolany has who denies the grow and impose her Footprint on anyone who tries to even raise an idea without her consent and treats people as subordinates instead of fellow sailors.
So Im Glad this came out, so people who is really interested in sailing community understand that .. is sadly .. is not just about sailing ..
Jeancarlo Kepler
2 BeeJee Boucher // Mar 7, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Deja vu is what comes to mind.
I think freedom of speech is important. If that fundamental rule is broken even when it concerns something as trivial as an agenda. You have to wonder what the reasons are, but it is inexcusable to censor other peoples words. Especially if they are just innocent announcements in a public agenda.
What is next?
3 Elisha Paklena // Mar 7, 2008 at 8:15 pm
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.
Heh.
4 MarkTwain White // Mar 7, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Another way to say that is from the Hebrew fable wherein Solomon asked for a ring which when a happy man looked at it would be sad, but when a sad man would look at it he would be happy. He was presented with a gold ring engraved with the Hebrew letters gimel, zayin, yud. The first letters of “this too shall pass”.
I rarely get to use my Hebrew from seminary days.
5 Patrick Leavitt // Mar 8, 2008 at 12:46 am
The Partners of Sailors Cove appreciate the opportunity to respond to this posting on the slsailing.com website.
First of all, we would like to express that we believe that SLSailing.com is a great resource for SL sailors and the sailing community. The calendar featured on this website is a good resource for Sailboat racers in the general community, however, we feel that it is inadequate for the needs of our community and what we do in Sailors Cove for our residents and friends. Our calendar reflects the multiple activities that we offer to our residents which include our races but also include our concerts, parties, games, pirate ship battles, treasure hunts and a myriad of other activities. We feel that the limits imposed by the calendar on this site do not adequately express all of our offerings.
We have never, nor would we ever, tell people not to refer to the SlSailing.com website. We do, however, want people to also read our website at http://www.slsailorscove.com . We believe that there is enough diversity and room in the Second Life Sailing community for multiple publications, just as we have multiple newspapers and media outlets in the real world. We would be happy to provide a link on our website to the SLSailing.com website, if SLSailing.com is willing to reciprocate in kind (the link shown in the sidebar of this website has never worked properly).
We find the accusation made by the owner/editor of this website against one of our partners to be harsh and inappropriate. The calendar once shared by the SL Sailing community was originally created by us. Our calendar was replaced and our entries copied onto the SLSailing website calendar. We choose to withdraw our entries at this time because of the reasons stated above. We have not removed any entries for other yacht clubs only those for the TYC.
In conclusion, we find the posting of these type of remarks by the owner/editor of SLSailing.com to be very unbecoming to the quality of what all of us have come to expect from this website. Our only expectation is that the representatives from Sailors Cove to this site are allowed to write as they like, free of limitations and agendas.
Respectfully,
Patrick Leavitt, Izabella Bentham, Tasha Kostolany
Owner/partners of Sailors Cove
6 Orca Flotta // Mar 8, 2008 at 3:04 am
Accusations are made, arguments going back and forth, this is great entertainment for the sailors in the community. /me goes to get a pack of pop corn and a huge coke.
However, where does a poor sailor girl from the Mowry “rabble” post their events now?
In both calendars?
That’s neither user friendly nor practical. Maybe we should have a new website MBYC.com or such and post only our own activities in the calendar there.
Can’t everybody see where this will end? A balkanization, a civil war, a lot of dwarfish websites every community member must browse through every day.
Again: this is confusing and not very practical!
7 Orca Flotta // Mar 8, 2008 at 3:15 am
Forgot to mention we have the SLSF website. I would be happy to find ONE calendar there, only ONE that covers ALL activities and events, regardless of the location where they are happening.
Because as a member of the sailing public I, like most sailors, don’t give a damn about where I sail.
We are grateful for all the people who bought sims and keep them open for sailing, yes. But please don’t force us to chose sides.
8 MarkTwain White // Mar 8, 2008 at 6:06 am
“We feel that the limits imposed by the calendar on this site do not adequately express all of our offerings.”
COM: The SL Sailing Calendar is a clearing house for sailing events. Why would you refuse to let the larger sailing community know of that information just because your larger calendar at your site has other events?
“We would be happy to provide a link on our website to the SLSailing.com website, if SLSailing.com is willing to reciprocate in kind (the link shown in the sidebar of this website has never worked properly).”
COM: That is not true. We have had a link to Sailor’s Cove for a very long time that worked fine. I imagine you changed the link to your calendar at some point which rendered our link obsolete. That has been fixed.
“We choose to withdraw our entries at this time because of the reasons stated above. We have not removed any entries for other yacht clubs only those for the TYC.”
COM: Those entries were at SLSailing.Com and were added by SC residents. They were not yours to delete.
“However, where does a poor sailor girl from the Mowry “rabble” post their events now? In both calendars? That’s neither user friendly nor practical. Maybe we should have a new website MBYC.com or such and post only our own activities in the calendar there.”
COM: Why would someone post events for MBYC in the Sailor’s Cove calendar? The point of the SL Sailing Calendar is to make a one place location for all sailing events for all clubs.
“But please don’t force us to chose sides.”
COM: It is not COM that has forced people to go to two places to find sailing events.
9 Epicurus Emmons // Mar 8, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Reading Patrick’s reply, I just want to give my thoughts on the matter. The management of SC (TYC) tell people off when they use the TYC group to IM SYC or NYC sailing events. On the other hand TYC races get IM-ed on the SYC and NYC groups. About which nobody complains because sailing is the goal, so its only natural. The management of SC (TYC) tell people off when someone refers to the sailing calendar on Slsailing.com in a TYC IM. Appearently only there own calander (about which many is said already, and of course MTW is completely right, anyone with a sound mind can see that) may be communicated in the TYC group.
One wonders if perhaps at Sailors Cove, sailing is not the real goal. Perhaps the real goal is attracting traffic in order to sell land and make a profit. Of course we all know SYC and NYC are not about that, and that might be the deeper source of the conflict here. Even if this is true it is still commercialy unsound to deal with matters concerning sailing like the TYC management does. And I hope they will learn from this and ease up a bit and go about things in more relaxed and friendly manner. At the moment they are just a pain in the butt for everybody.
10 Bing Sewell // Mar 9, 2008 at 8:50 am
IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT…
when i came to SL i had many doubts. Suzanne Zeluco was first person i met from the world of sailing. i received my first encouragements and introduction to this world from her. and i am always grateful. the next person i met was Nber. she helped me download the maps at SYC. and made me sure she would be there for me if i had problems. it made such an impact on me as i was a newbie. i know she’s helpful to all, and has a big heart. i love Nber and enjoy our girlie exchanges.
i met Mark when ACA 32 sims were being launched. i admired the way he handled the races and respected the amount of effort he put in keeping sailing going. and i still do. i think he has great awareness. receptive to whats going on in the world (RL). i also had a chance to play with him. had a water battle. i met the child in him. i know he enjoys breaking rules. i know he can laugh and play like a child. and at moments of distress i know he will be there to help out. and i also know he will not beat about the bush when he puts a thing in his mind. he is a direct and an honest person.
my first teacher in sailing in SL was Kipper. he showed me the basic things in sailing and helped me get to know better the ways of SL. i will always be grateful to this wonderful person.
it was Epi (then a resident of Sailors Cove) who shared his hud and knowledge and time to teach me racing in a laggy world. offred me his friendship which i still hold dear. and i was very sad to see him go.
BJ lived right across me. the first party i ever went to in SL was with him and Epi and JC. thus i learnt how to dance and enjoy music and have fun.
and it was good to know people like JC are in SL. always polite, considerate and fun…
i loved sailing. i had my eye on NE sims. but there was a lot of controversy. and when NYC was homeless i was disappointed. i heard about Sailors Cove and their solidarity with NYC sailors, i was happy. i tp’d there to see their sim and wished i had a place there. when i heard of the new sim Hay Harbour, i jumped at the offer. however other people were too interested. there was to be an auction. i was also a foreigner… i had doubts. i exchanged ims with Tasha and Iza and was surprised at the encouragement and help i received. when the time of the auction arrived i was still not sure. because i thought the persons in question would prefer to make a good profit. but the auction never took place. we were (people interested in the same parcel) asked to come to an agreement in a group im. and i got my parcel without having to pay anything extra. throughout my residency there i have witnessed how hard these people work and how they help out… i have told (and will continue to do so) anything that came to my mind to both Tasha and Iza. and they have always been receptive. so i think condemning Tasha is very very harsh. a person may be criticised. i dont think anyone in the sailing community deserves to be condemned. all in all, i am happy to be part of Sailors Cove.
but i also love being part of the sailing community…
my first race at Hay Harbour as a newbie was a disaster with loads of crashes. it was Glida who took me on his boat and showed me how to race and gave me encouragement.
my first official race was at NYC. Hans was the race director and insisted i should race. and to my surprise i did. and i saw him watching me in the air as i going up Bismarck Sea towards the finish line. that warmed my heart and meant a lot…
and armchair… who not only shared his sailing proficiency but also offered his enriching friendship.
through sailing i have met some great personalities. some i would like to keep for life…
so i am saddened by all this… too RL like…
i think both parties work their butt off to make sailing better in their own but different ways. with which some of would agree and others disagree as some of you already have. keeping sims alive requires Lindens. and no-one can blame anyone for trying to make more money and give the best service. and want to become the best! it is a healthy competition from which SL sailing benefits. and it should be kept within that frame. as to who is more “sailor friendly” or more devoted should not be the issue here. every sailor has her or his own expectations. some just want to sail, some just want to compete and some just want to show off their boats and have fun. in the end SL sailing is the fulfiment of a sailor’s need to “belong”!
after this unfortunate/fortunate open discussion nothing will ever be the same. but it will be for the better.
i feel the competition should continue; TYC should announce their races both on .COM and their own websites and be allowed their freedom to do what they like otherwise; Mark should calm down no matter what… i think we should all calm down, listen and HEAR! and encourage peace and not kindle a battle that obviously will have no winner.
i love the sea and sailing in both worlds. i appreciate and respect all the efforts put by the Sailing Federation, all the clubs (SYC/TYC/NYC/MBYC/WPYC…) and by a long list of individuals who are rarely mentioned…
and i personally want truce…
it is the sea that brings us together; and in the end it is the sea we will go back to…
11 Orca Flotta // Mar 9, 2008 at 10:01 am
/me nods and applauds Bing for her heartwarming posting.
I to have met many very nice and helpful people when I got wet feet in my Tako during my first days of SLailing. And never did I care about with what club or sim anybody is affiliated with. I just became member of all clubs, problem solved … so I thought.
The more it hurts to see people I like and respect fighting against each other now. However, if you are tired of it and wanna sail in peace, out of the line of fire, come to the neutral territory of Mowry (hint hint) the Switzerland of SL sailing community
PS: upcoming MBYC races will be announced in both calendars, so people indeed are friendly and helpful and not as terrible as some here describe them.
12 jacqueline trudeau // Mar 9, 2008 at 11:25 am
All I can can say to the fueding parties:
Grow the fuck up!
Sorry for my French. But really… *who* cares about claims whether someone removed events from *this* calendar and put them on *that* calender. Or whether *this* site has or had a link to *that* site. Or claims of whether *this* person is on a campaign to deny people acess to *that or *that* site.
99% percent of us are NOT interested in drama between land managers. We just want to sail. And we we don’t care whether it’s done in some self-proclaimed “BEST sailing first group” of sims or elsewhere.
So before this escalates any further. Please stop and think whether this is helpful to the SL sailing community as a whole. OR just gratification to the egos of a few.
13 Surfwidow Beaumont // Mar 9, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I have managed to get along with everyone
In Tasha and Marks defense - they both have very large sims to manage and each group will want to have control over their own agendas - thats perfectly natural
However, there is also a risk of a break up of the sailing community if these squabbles are not resolved
Perhaps Tasha and Mark and Mowry and others with an interest in this should make a serious effort to sit around a table - neutral venue maybe and perhaps create a new site where they (all the yacht club commodores) are moderators and that just hosts a calendar all the other sites link too - cheap to do and a one-stop-shop without a Führer other than the registrant but that person must make a pledge never to pull rank on this lest they be shamed in front of the community
then you all have power you all have ownership and you all feel in control again for the good of all
The problem with power is to offer others ‘rights’ and responsibilities those with power MUST cede it - this is not a very easy thing to do - but essential for the sailing community to have any real chance of a united future
remember the psychology of groups and individuals when the powerful meet
Forming
Storming
Norming
and
Performing
We are all at a storming stage where we try to push and shove ourselves around to ensure we are all heard and have a voice - norming will come when the balance is found - and performing will come too after that
if the storming stage tears everyone apart then there will be an undercurrent of club sabotage and bad mouthing people saying ‘they are terrible’, ‘he is no good’, ‘they are like the mafia’, ‘he is a control freak’, and so on
something we all want to avoid
let the negotiations begin - eh maybe
this is a very critical stage with mass sim expansion all after the sailors lindens - so there is bound to be competition - just make it healthy without the dirty tricks campaign - it makes it very difficult to remain friends with everyone but i will still try :)) LOL
14 Indigo Mertel // Mar 9, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Hey, hey, wait… Mowry is not involved in this quarrel. We just sit here drinking our gin and watch the events evolve… Peace and love!
15 Jane Fossett // Mar 11, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Open Letter to SL Sailing Community
The Steering Committee of Nantucket Yacht Club would like to reaffirm NYC’s commitment to sailing in SL. We cherish the intelligence, humor and creativity of all SL sailors, wherever they sail and whatever clubs they join, and we believe that a wide diversity of opinion and approach is extremely valuable for our global sailing community. We all have much in common and we all have much to accomplish together.
We are therefore greatly concerned that this past week Sailor’s Cove chose to eject one of the NYC Steering Committee from membership in Tradewinds Yacht Club. SC has also banned one of our Race Directors from their sims, and refused to reconsider that decision even for a single sailing event. This past week SC threatened to ban yet another NYC Race Director. Amazingly, SC’s current ‘ban list’ includes two of the five founding members of SLSF.
We very strongly reject Sailor’s Cove’s divisive attitude. None of us is perfect, and there are days when we all end up with a sneaker stuck in our SL butts. However, we all deserve respect, humor, and kindness as we ply the SL seas in our frail boats.
The NYC Steering Committee therefore asks Sailor’s Cove to reconsider their approach, and we eagerly invite them to work with us — and all sailors — as we build the future of SLSailing together.
Francois Jacques, Commodore, and
Jane Fossett, Secretary
for the
NYC Steering Committee
16 Vin Mariani // Mar 11, 2008 at 9:20 pm
I am so angry I can hardly type. But as Winston Churchill said in Parliament, “the gentleman should not develop more indignation than he can contain.”
I would like to share some facts with all of you. I witnessed one of the bannings referred to above. I kept silent at the time, purely in deference to the privacy of the person ejected. Perhaps I made the wrong choice, as persecution also thrives on silence. Now that the issue has been made public by the victims (and I use that term precisely), I choose to share what I saw with everyone.
I witnessed the ejection itself and can tell you that there was no visible or audible provocation whatsoever. In fact the RD in question had just arrived at a TYC race at my own invitation to join the race. They arrived, were generally welcomed by attendees, then were suddenly ejected/banned without any explanation. One moment, in the air, the next moment vanished, and prevented from returning to this day. The RD in question tells me that there was no communication from TYC management then or since indicating why this was done or how the RD might “make amends” for any sort of transgression.
So much for the facts. Now my commentary. I believe we must not tacitly accept this sort of behavior. I don’t care what was done in the past that might have triggered these ejections. What is essentially wrong, as I see it, is 1) the absence of immediate provocation for banning, 2) the absence of any explanation, and 3) the absence of offering a pathway to make amends. It is these omissions that turn an act that we all know is occasionally necessary into one that is not justifiable. So will you accept it? If you do, perhaps you will be the next victim. Or perhaps I will be, just for speaking out clearly against an act I think is wrong.
We all make errors of judgment and together we must find a way to heal this wound. I suggest a pathway to make genuine amends: rescind the bans and ejections, and privately apologize to the victims for those acts. (Yes, those apologies are none of our business.) If this is done, I think we should accept these amends, forgive, and say no more about it. To accept and correct one’s errors is noble and we should honor that. And further, if the ejections were the result of earlier transgressions against TYC or its members, those banned deserve a real explanation and an honest chance to make their own amends.
The time when civilized principles really matter is when things go to hell. I believe that all involved in this situation HAVE principles; its time for every one of us in this community to rise to the occasion and act courageously, respectfully and with dignity. Anything less will not solve this problem. I know that I may not have the answers myself, but I earnestly seek to act as constructively as I can. Please, all of you, contribute your very best thoughts and actions to this. We must work together.
Vin Mariani
17 Alain Gloster // Mar 12, 2008 at 12:54 am
Thanks Jane and Vin for your comments on what must have been a concerning experience.
I think transparency is the key, no-one does bad things from their own point of view but no-ones explaining why things are happening, and thats concerning.
I’d hope that all the Club governing people could get together to sort out their differences and find out why things are happening before it has a bigger negative effect than it already has on everybodies morale.
18 Vin Mariani // Mar 12, 2008 at 12:58 am
And for my sins, I now have much to do, having deftly inserted myself into the controversy. There have been many discussions, and misunderstandings are surfacing. Communication is improving. I have also probably been guilty of making assumptions. I may find myself apologizing soon. No one I’ve talked to really wants conflict. I can say, from conversation with Izabella Bentham, and with her permission, that the RD I referred to is not currently banned from SC and the ejection from TYC has been reversed. No surprise, there are at least two sides to every story. And they are still emerging. I have hope, if also a slight touch of sheepishness. Nothing wrong with that. Hope with me.
Vin
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