BP CEO Tony Hayward criticised for yacht trip

BBC News:

Okay, so I read this story, and I didn't quite have the reaction most seem to have. Yes, BP's CEO Tony Hayward is sailing. Sailing is considered - generally - a rich person's sport, and I agree in some respects. You have to have a boat, maintain it, learn about its workings... It takes some effort which - as said - one could spend trying to resolve an environmental crisis.

I, however, take a more sympathetic view for Mr Hayward, and so have an advocate's view somewhat.

Being Human
Mr Hayward is human. As a human, he requires rest and diversion in order to function at his best, and to make decisive, important choices regarding the spill. Sometimes a weekend at home with family doesn't do it. While he's with his family, he isn't really going anywhere, is he? I'm certain that doing something he could only consider a hobby can do wonders to his mental health and ability to cope with the strain of having a monumental task of cleaning up, investigating the explosion and dealing with the media and public.

Deepwater Horizon/BP
The incident happened in April, and I doubt he imagined this would have gone on for so long. The company has never had to deal with all the things they have, as they've said. I've said often why they don't just shut the thing down entirely instead of culling petroleum where they can. I don't know anything, though, so who knows how hard it is just to do that. I'm sure they've brought out who they can to help. The United States Coast Guard has been working on this too. Seriously, one can't blame only BP, and I'm tired of everyone's always wanting to scapegoat whenever something happens. Forget blaming someone: just do something, right?

Round the Island Race 2010
This race, the 79th iteration with 1754 entries this year, opened registration back in January. With the way I imagine a CEO's life must be, he would have to have scheduled his registration. The Deepwater Horizon incident happened in April. I have no evidence to state this, but I imagine he would have had to pay a registration fee, one he would not have been able to recoup so close to the start of the competition.

Family
He was sailing with his son. Should his family suffer too?

Sympathy for the Affected
I do understand the people affected have less financial resources than Mr Hayward, and his job can theoretically continue because his job is to manage others, come up with ideas, and make the company profitable, not to use the resources of the gulf-now-polluted.