“That’s yacht racing”
“That’s yacht racing” is an expression similar to “that’s life”—there are wins and losses, ups and downs. Yacht racing is a very expensive sport, but a simple change in the weather can ruin even the best yacht.
“One day there’s too much wind off Sandy Hook, the next one there’s not enough. That’s yacht racing” was printed in Public Opinion (Chambersburg, PA) on July 27, 1920.
27 July 1920, Public Opinion (Chambersburg, PA), “Opinionettes,” pg. 2, col. 4:
One day there’s too much wind off Sandy Hook, the next one there’s not enough. That’s yacht racing.
27 June 1947, New York (NY) Herald Tribune, “Last 2 of Fleet Reach Harbor In Ocean Race: Ballymena and Gaetana II Let Committee Announce ‘All In or Accounted For’” by Everett B. Morris, pg. 24, col. 5:
White Mist was only two hours astern of Alar on corrected time and she easily lost that much when she ran out of wind just before dawn in the bay Wednesday. That’s yacht racing.
12 March 1955, St. Petersburg (FL) Times, “Much About Yacht Racing” by Dick Bothwell, pg. 17, col. 8:
Well, that’s yacht racing for you. Gray sails in a gray sky and a gray sea shaking, as Phineas T. Longfellow used to put it.
20 March 1958, St. Petersburg (FL)
As the top gallery spectators started the long hike back to their cars, a stalled non-sporting type (probably headed for Miami Beach) was seen fuming in his tail-finner, snorting to a companion: “The censored so-and-sos must be crazy.” That’s yacht racing all right!
23 September 1958, New York (NY) Herald Tribune, “Thrilling (?) Spectacle” by Red Smith, sec. 3, pg. 1, col. 1:
It was a wasted day. That’s like Ruby Goldstein letting two heavyweights go 15 rounds and then calling it no contest. That’s yacht racing.
22 June 1965, San Francisco (CA) Examiner, pg. 58, col. 1:
Vallejo Resulkt 43 Days Late
Well, That’s Yacht Racing
By DON SELBY
26 July 1971, Boston (MA)
, “Increasing fog thickens plot for Edgartown yachtsman” by John Ahern, pg. 23, col. 3:
But as they say somewhat philosophically, that’s yacht racing,
Google Books
One Man’s Dream
By Alan Parker and Digby Taylor
Auckland, NZ: Lindon Pub.
1982
Pg. 42:
“Even so, had we not been disqualified, we would have come home second on overall handicap, and almost certainly wouldn’t have made it to first had we not hit the bottom. But that’s yacht racing.”
Google Books
Born to Win:
A Lifelong Struggle to Capture the America’s Cup
By John Bertrand
New York, NY: Hearst Marine Books
1985
Pg. 342:
We have been whacked right on the chin. But that’s yacht racing.
Google Groups: rec.boats
Whitbread RTW Race Results
Bertil Schou
1/23/94
(...)
Altogether, seven yachts crossed the line within five hours of each other, including the long time leader, Winston [Dennis Conner/Brad Butterworth, US], who finished second in the W60 class. Admitting that he was disappointed at losing a 146 mile lead Conner said: “There was nothing we could do. If you’re parked and can’t move either way and the fleet brings up the weather, that’s yacht racing.”
Twitter
Alex Alley
@AlexAlley
Gutted for @LandRoverBAR and @AinslieBen That’s yacht racing!
Better luck tomorrow
2:00 PM - 5 Jun 2017 from Gosport, England
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Stuart Henn to Scallywag
December 26, 2018 at 12:24 AM ·
Hard luck guys that’s yacht racing
Live Sail Die
2019 Etchells Australian Championship – Havoc caused and Havoc crowned
January 19th, 2019 | Etchells
Matt Chew, Brian Donovan, Ben Vercoe and Mitch Kennedy had one job to do to claim the 2019 Etchells Australian Championship – have a clean race, keep their head out of the boat and the victory was theirs. However the unsightly letters UFD are against their name for the final race of the championship, meaning they lost the title. However like the old saying goes, “that’s yacht racing” and instead the big fancy trophy went to Iain Murray, Colin Beashel and Richard Allanson.