BP CEO gets wrapped for watching posh yacht race in England

London, June 20 (ANI): Popular social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have lit up with outrage and condemnation over embattled British Petroleum (BP) CEO Tony Hayward taking a break to attend a posh yacht race in England, even as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill shows no signs of abating.

However, the company has come out in support of Hayward.

"It's a well-known event in the British calendar. He's entitled to private time with his family," the Daily News quoted BP spokesman Robert Wine, as saying.

Hayward was watching his boat "Bob" in the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race Saturday off the Isle of Wight.

"He's continuing to work hard. You don't have to be physically in a location to remain in charge of the response," Wine said.

He declined to say when Hayward would return to the Gulf Coast mess, but confirmed it is his first recreational trip since the disaster began.

"At some point in the near future, he'll be back in the U.S.," said Wine.

Meanwhile, attempts to control the spill hit another snag Friday night when a system catching crude near the busted rig was shut down.

The device was stopped because of a "blocked frame arrestor," but it is expected to restart Saturday after a lightning storm leaves the area, BP announced on its website. (ANI)