Of course those who just work for a check have no clue what it takes to run a business. So now we'll have to "stay home and watch TV" because of the "liability".
Walk in the shoes before complaining.
We're talking talking about the Statue Race here, not about a business. There's always waivers you can make people sign and if I remember well, we did so at the S/R.
But there is a point here...Liability becomes often times an excuse that kills a lot of new ideas. I don't think it was the main reason with the Statue Race, but it was definitely talked about. It goes back to the TYPE of sailors you get at the starting line (i.e. experience), not necessarily the quantity. What's riskier - 20 newbies sailing their dilapidated H16's or 100 experienced sailors on a bunch of Tigers and I20? If I was the insurer, I would know which one to pick.
Also - I worked for 14 years for corporations in Europe and the US, now run my own business. What I've seen is that the "liability" argument is very easily made in corporations...as an excuse to do nothing or to be able to say "I told you so...". It's definitely a valid concern, but it's also all too often raised by the "can't do" type of people.