Gay Sailor Sues AC 34 Management

Bay Area sailor Larry Jacobson made headlines in 2007 when he and partner Ken Smith became the first openly gay couple to circumnavigate the globe. Today, Jacobson is making headlines of a different sort. 

According the online newsletter Bay Area Reporter, Jacobson, 59, filed suit March 13 against various entities of America’s Cup 34 for wrongful termination and other complaints. He had worked as a VIP spectator boat captain during last summer’s AC events. In the suit, the Reporter notes, Jacobson claims he suffered "humiliation, emotional distress, and physical and mental pain and anguish" as a result of sexually oriented taunts by AC managers. He is seeking damages in excess of $25,000, according the Reporter. In addition to his claim of wrongful termination, he has cited sexual orientation discrimination, failure to pay overtime, and failure to pay wages upon discharge. 

After Jacobson returned from his six-year circumnavigation aboard the Stevens 50 Julia in 2007, he published a book about his and Smith’s adventures titled The Boy Behind the Gate. He now works primarily as a motivational speaker and business consultant.