Sailor Abby Sunderland's Dad Signed Her To TV Deal Before Her Doomed Voyage

Fox news ^ | June 14 2010 | NYPost.com

[NoLibZone]

Here's a dose of reality.

The father of teen sailor Abby Sunderland told The NY Post that he's broke and had signed a contract to do a reality show, "Adventures in Sunderland," about his family of daredevil kids weeks after she set off on her doomed and dangerous solo sail around the globe.

Laurence Sunderland, a sailing instructor who lives in the middle-class Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks with his pregnant wife and seven kids, opened their home to film crews four months ago.

[Sarah Barracuda]

He signed up to do a reality show, unless this reality show was for free, I assume they were being paid to do it. The family is broke, I heard it today on the news, why would they do a reality show for free

[Sacajaweau]

Jacques Cousteau would have been 100 on June 11, 2010. I wish this young lady and her family the same luck that he had.

[ilovesarah2012]

Jacques Cousteau taught people. Not sure what little Abby can teach us. Anyway, I have spent way too much time on the subject that really has absolutely no impact on my life.

Have a nice evening.

[Tennessee Nana]

Now youve gone and done it...

Used Gov Sarah Palin and her family as a political football again..

Introduced a means of pushing old botoxed hair dyed unwanted RINO Romney in a non related thread on FRee Republic...

Is there no little Village newspaper that Romney can con into including his latest press release amongst their ads for adult toys and “green trips” ???

[Sarah Barracuda]

If your referring to me, the state should not intervene at all, if they want to have a reality show, that is their business..I don’t care, doesn’t affect me at all what that family does

[La Enchiladita]

There are two story lines going: the real one and the imaginary one being pushed by the article and some posters here.

The scary part is the assumption by the critics that the Sunderlands should be punished because of their extraordinary children and extraordinary achievements, not to mention their large family and the possibility -— the mere possibility -— that a book or movie (AFTER the fact) would make some *gasp* money.

[La Enchiladita]

Didn’t ping you and didn’t refer to you.

[Sarah Barracuda]

Oh I’m sorry

[Vendome]

Is there money to made by being a failure?

That’s a new one to me.

Would be more remarkable to actually accomplish sailing around the world.

[Truthsearcher]

If by intervene you mean they should enforce debts incurred, like if you fail to pay your mortgage the sheriff might come and evict you.

Then yes.

[upsdriver]

If social services looked in on you, they could determine you already do “endanger your child”. It doesn’t take something as extreme as sailing around the world, it could be as simple as you “forcing” your child to pray before a meal. I don’t trust any government agency and neither should you.

[Professional]

Manufactured excitement. A ho hum trip, creates no news stories. This story didn’t heat up, until the risk of her being lost at sea was announced.

[Hot Tabasco]

Abby was an olympic level trained athlete

Now where did you come up with that??????

Olympic sailing is conducted on set courses in open hulled boats, ranging anywhere in size from approx. 12' to 26' with the Tornado catamaran probably being the longest. There is a big difference between course racing and offshore racing....

As for actual sailing experience, I've yet to find any on the internet other than her "Pimp Daddy" saying she has "thousands of miles of sailing experience".....

I was thinking I could find evidence of off shore racing experience in events such as the Rolex Cup or the Whitbread but there was none.....

You can support her all you want but the fact remains that this 16 year girl had no business setting sail at the time of the year she did and it was only because her Pimp Daddy was attempting to profit from her just as Balloon Boy's Pimp Daddy did..........

[La Enchiladita]

I see. Kind of like what obamma wants to do to British Petroleum.

[Vendome]

Hmmm... Maybe.

Then she should try again and that will be a story.

[Paddy Irish]

You know Balloon Boy’s dad was a liar, and he got the kids to help with the scheme, but at least he did not actually put the kid in danger. Abbies parents should be strung up, they simply can not get enough attention, and they need it so much they would put their kids at risk. A 16 year old kid simply has not seen enough to know what to do in every situation.

[ilovesarah2012]

My kids are grown, so it’s a moot point. But if they ever had come after me for having my kids pray, it would have been on!

[Vendome]

Thought about your theory and No Way in Hell.

I wouldn’t even find a way to break off my mast, in the middle of the ocean. Not sure if that is what you are implying.

or

If the trip itself is uninteresting to you. That’s fine.

I would like to do it. Sounds fun.

[Hot Tabasco]

And if it does not take talent to sail a boat, many more teens would be making teh same attempt.

And if circumnavigation of the globe, alone at the age of 16, were such a smart endeavor, everyone would be sending their kids out.

There's a reason they don't and it's called responsible parenting and common sense...........

[Vendome]

Nope.

It’s called Boring.

As in a boring life.