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 Fatherly lessons at the WMRT—Sailing News from the U.S. and Beyond
 | | Peter Gimour and his YANMAR Racing team during qualifying session 2 at the 2012 Monsoon Cup. Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. 5 December 2012. Photo: Subzero Images/Monsoon Cup Gareth Cooke - Subzero Images © |
While it's been dark n' stormy in Seattle for weeks now, word on the street is that the 'dark curtain' isn't the norm everywhere. For example, the elite sailors who are competing in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia at the World Match Racing Tour's (WMRT) Monsoon Cup are enjoying plenty of tight racing, while getting plenty of Vitamin D (an elusive element here in the PNW these days).
The limelight is shinning particularly brightly on Australian-great Peter Gilmour, who this week announced his retirement from both the WMRT and professional match racing. Fortunately for the four-time ISAF Match Racing World Champion, this year's Monsoon Cup-which he helped start in 2005 and which will be his swan song to pro sailing-is going well so far, with seven wins over ten races.
'We are looking for a good final event result, so the concentration is certainly there,' said Gilmour. 'What has been helping us so far is the nature of the racing so far this week. Short racing starts, sprints, light conditions, tricky stuff, where experience really counts.'
Gilmour's son David is also on the WMRT and is proving that talent runs strong in this multi-generational sailing bloodline. Interestingly, father recently met son on the starting line at this year's event, with Gilmour Senior doling out a fatherly schooling that Gilmour Junior isn't going to soon forget. 'David and his crew are going pretty well, they are definitely in the hunt, they need some polishing and they will get there,' reported Gilmour Senior. Get the full Monsoon Cup report, inside this issue.
 | | VENDEE GLOBE 2012/2013 - INDIAN OCEAN - 02/12/2012 - PHOTO FRANCOIS GABART (FRA) / MACIF - SUNSET IN THE INDIAN OCEAN - A LONG WAY, WET BUT WORTHWILE © François Gabart / MACIF |
Meanwhile, in offshore-sailing news, Francois Gabart ('MACIF') has again taken the pole position in the nonstop, around-the-world-alone-and-unsupported Vendee Globe Race, but it's unclear as to how solid his lead is as the fleet continues to do battle with a high-pressure zone that's parked over the Crozet ice gate. At the time of this writing, only Armel Le Cleac'h ('Banque Populaire') had cleared the ice gate, which all teams must honor (and hence why Gabart's lead is a bit of a tissue tiger). Gabart is joined south of the Crozet ice gate by Bernard Stamm ('Cheminees Poujoulat') and Jean-Pierre Dick ('Virbac Paprec 3') and Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss Racing), all of whom will need to do a hitch north (and into the sticky stuff) in the near future in order to clear the gate.
'I am doing great, we have 15-20 knots of wind the seas are still a bit confused but the skies are blue and it looks more like summer,' reported Gabart. 'I can get some rest now because the wind is a bit lighter, but I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow when I go back to cross the gate. I hope it will be OK.' More, inside.
 | | Emirates Team New Zealand practice race drills with the team's first AC72 on the Hauraki Gulf. 4/12/2012 Chris Cameron/ETNZ© |
And finally, in America's Cup news, legendary Kiwi bowman Joey Allen has a new gig as Emirates Team New Zealand's sailing coach, and he's been using GoPro cameras quite successfully to foster better crew-work choreography. Inside, don't miss the multi-media report on how ETNZ and Allen are making the most of these portable and waterproof HD cameras to capture all sorts of germane information, which is being logged into ETNZ's video library and which the team plans to leverage in the interim between decommissioning its first-generation AC72 and launching their Cup boat (early February).
May the four winds blow you safely home,
David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor
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