Starting the Week and the Summer
BP CEO at yacht race during spill
The oil giant’s head takes a break from disaster to enjoy a British yachting contest
Spokeswoman Sheila Williams said Hayward took a break from overseeing BP efforts to stem the undersea gusher in Gulf of Mexico to watch his boat “Bob” participate in the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.
The one-day yacht race is one of the world’s largest, attracting hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors.
In a statement, BP described Hayward’s day off as “a rare moment of private time” and said that “no matter where he is, he is always in touch with what is happening within BP” and can direct recovery operations if required.
The corporate spokesman continued, “None of the yachts hit an oil rig here. Why doesn’t the media report that?” When the media were so rude as to note that are no oil rigs near the Isle of Wight, the spokesman said “That only proves BP and Mr. Haywood’s dedicated, caring commitment to the environment. And no whales or walruses were hurt either. Yes, Mrs. Hayward did accidently drop her pug Wrinkletto from the yacht, but Wrinky was rescued and is fine. Of course, you media should blame yourself; all that stress made Mrs. Hayward and Wrinky nervous.
“Why can’t the media cover the positive aspects of this story. Isn’t ‘Bob’ a friendly, folksy name for a yacht? It just shows you the kind of person Mr. Haywood really is. His polo ponies are named Fred and Ethel.”
p.s. Happy Summer Solstice: https://finermanworks.com/your_rda_of_irony/2009/06/21/the-ptomaine-entree-2/