HELP ME FEND OFF MATT ALLEN
Donation protected
Hello - I'm Mark Hipgrave from Brisbane, Qld
Some of you may be aware of the CYCA’s 2019 announcement of a new Double Handed Division for the 2020 Sydney to Hobart race and beyond; then the rumours that started coming from within the CYCA a year later that ‘well, er, yes, we will welcome the DH Entrants but we are not going to allow them to be eligible for the major trophies.’
In Sept 2020 the new Commodore confirmed that despite the announcement the previous year, the rumors were true, and that a powerful Lobby Group was pressuring the club to prevent the DH entrants from being eligible to win the race.
Former commodore, former president of Australian Sailing and multiple S2H winner Matt Allen was revealed by many to be a member of this Lobby Group which both surprised and disappointed us. Why would he do this? With two multi-million dollar boats, a professional crew, and indulged by the CYCA to enter both boats each year (so he can chose which one to take when he gets the weather forecast) why would Matt feel threatened by a group of low budget sailors sailing 36-40’ boats double handed, especially when DH sailors are warmly welcomed in all the major overseas ocean races including the Fastnet, Middle Sea and Caribbean 600 races? Sadly, this group’s actions were ultimately successful.
We were even more surprised and more disappointed when, in early Nov 2020, Matt was announced as a founding Director of Offshore Doubles, an international group set up to promote DH Sailing.
This curious situation prompted me, in a momentary lapse of judgment a few days later, to create a satirical parody video using the Hitler Rant Meme from the Downfall movie with Matt as the main character. You have probably seen these parodies before - they are so common there is a YouTube channel devoted to them.
I sent a link to the video to thirteen DH sailors who were following the actions of this Lobby Group, and some must have sent it on to others. Somehow the whole thing (with everyone’s email address) also found its way to Matt.
The result of this is that I have been dealing with nasty letters from his lawyers since early December.
They have written to me that ‘almost every day someone will mention the video to [Matt], and on some days multiple people mention it’. Every time this happens, it is said to cause him to feel ‘enormous pain, hurt, humiliation and embarrassment’.
I’ve arranged to have the video taken down, sent Matt an apology letter and offered to make a substantial (for me) donation to a sailing charity of his choosing, but he wants more. At one stage he demanded I pay him $50 for every visit to the site where the video appeared (ie more than $80K) plus his legal costs. I refused and Matt has recently taken the matter to the District Court of NSW. When he’s finished with me, he may go after the thirteen original recipients of the video link.
This has already cost me a solid 5 figure sum and may go to a big 6 figure sum before it’s over, so I need your help. You will be aware that Matt has significant financial resources which he will use against me.
I don’t, and have set up this GoFundMe page to enable you to contribute to my legal costs – past and future. If you sympathise with my situation and would like to help, you can donate (anonymously if you choose) here.
Some of you may be aware of the CYCA’s 2019 announcement of a new Double Handed Division for the 2020 Sydney to Hobart race and beyond; then the rumours that started coming from within the CYCA a year later that ‘well, er, yes, we will welcome the DH Entrants but we are not going to allow them to be eligible for the major trophies.’
In Sept 2020 the new Commodore confirmed that despite the announcement the previous year, the rumors were true, and that a powerful Lobby Group was pressuring the club to prevent the DH entrants from being eligible to win the race.
Former commodore, former president of Australian Sailing and multiple S2H winner Matt Allen was revealed by many to be a member of this Lobby Group which both surprised and disappointed us. Why would he do this? With two multi-million dollar boats, a professional crew, and indulged by the CYCA to enter both boats each year (so he can chose which one to take when he gets the weather forecast) why would Matt feel threatened by a group of low budget sailors sailing 36-40’ boats double handed, especially when DH sailors are warmly welcomed in all the major overseas ocean races including the Fastnet, Middle Sea and Caribbean 600 races? Sadly, this group’s actions were ultimately successful.
We were even more surprised and more disappointed when, in early Nov 2020, Matt was announced as a founding Director of Offshore Doubles, an international group set up to promote DH Sailing.
This curious situation prompted me, in a momentary lapse of judgment a few days later, to create a satirical parody video using the Hitler Rant Meme from the Downfall movie with Matt as the main character. You have probably seen these parodies before - they are so common there is a YouTube channel devoted to them.
I sent a link to the video to thirteen DH sailors who were following the actions of this Lobby Group, and some must have sent it on to others. Somehow the whole thing (with everyone’s email address) also found its way to Matt.
The result of this is that I have been dealing with nasty letters from his lawyers since early December.
They have written to me that ‘almost every day someone will mention the video to [Matt], and on some days multiple people mention it’. Every time this happens, it is said to cause him to feel ‘enormous pain, hurt, humiliation and embarrassment’.
I’ve arranged to have the video taken down, sent Matt an apology letter and offered to make a substantial (for me) donation to a sailing charity of his choosing, but he wants more. At one stage he demanded I pay him $50 for every visit to the site where the video appeared (ie more than $80K) plus his legal costs. I refused and Matt has recently taken the matter to the District Court of NSW. When he’s finished with me, he may go after the thirteen original recipients of the video link.
This has already cost me a solid 5 figure sum and may go to a big 6 figure sum before it’s over, so I need your help. You will be aware that Matt has significant financial resources which he will use against me.
I don’t, and have set up this GoFundMe page to enable you to contribute to my legal costs – past and future. If you sympathise with my situation and would like to help, you can donate (anonymously if you choose) here.
Organizer
Mark Hipgrave
Organizer
Teneriffe QLD
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