© Win McNamee / Getty ImagesBP Chief Executive Tony Hayward
Spokeswoman Sheila Williams said Hayward took a break from overseeing BP efforts to stem the undersea gusher in Gulf of Mexico to watch his boat "Bob" participate in the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.
The one-day yacht race is one of the world's largest, attracting hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors.
In a statement, BP described Hayward's break as "a rare moment of private time" and said that "no matter where he is, he is always in touch with what is happening within BP" and can direct recovery operations if required.
That is likely to be a hard sell in the slick-hit Gulf states struggling to deal with the up to 120 million gallons of oil that have escaped since April 20 from a blown-out undersea well operated by Hayward's company.
It was not clear whether Hayward actually took part in the race or attended as a spectator. Williams refused to comment beyond saying that the embattled chief executive was there with his son.
Peta Stuart-Hunt, a press officer for the event, said Hayward "wasn't listed on any of the crew list."
"If he is on the boat, he's in contravention of the rules," she said.
Whatever the case, Hayward's appearance at the race is likely to draw outrage in the United States, where he has already been criticized for failing to answer questions from U.S. lawmakers.
BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg told Britain's Sky News television on Friday that Hayward was on his way out as the company's point man on the oil spill crisis and that the daily operations would be handled by (BP Managing Director) Bob Dudley.
But other company officials insisted that Hayward was still the man and that the switch had already been announced and isn't immediate.
What's the big deal? Why do we require him to maintain his show 24/7? Any actor finds that difficult to do, though if truth be told, it is part of the 'agreement' any actor finds they've made once they become a 'superstar'. It's just part of the job assignment. The press ignores you when you are 'nobody' but will sneak into your toilet when you've been declared a 'star'.
BP is a superstar now and has to play the game of public apology like Tiger Woods. Soon enough, if they keep saying their sorry, they can get their game back on and then let the courts sort it all out in the decades to come... like Exxon with that Valdez mess back in the day... remember that one? Exxon had to pretend to do their penance as well. I guess Hayward just didn't get the memo from the PR department. This is what happens when you mismanage your in-box.