Jeremy Wilmot chosen as Morning Light skipper

by Rich Roberts on 26 Apr 2007 Jeremy Wilmot, the 21-year-old progeny of a world-class sailing clan from Down Under, is the unanimous selection of his Morning Light teammates to lead them in their campaign through the 44th Transpacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu in July.

'I'm happy about it,' Wilmot said as the team's fourth and final Hawaii-based training session wound down this week. 'It's good that they trust me. I can't wait to lead them and get better. It's a pretty unusual circumstance being 21 and the skipper of a 52-foot yacht.'

The team, which received special instruction from veteran ocean racing bowman Jerry Kirby of Newport, R.I. in this session, will sail their Transpac 52 in the 2,225-nautical mile Transpac on their own. The whole Morning Light project from team selection through training and the race will be the subject of a documentary film produced by Roy E. Disney and Leslie DeMeuse of Pacific High Productions in association with Disney Studios. It's scheduled for theater release early next year.

The timing of Wilmot's selection as skipper and 10 others who will ultimately sail Transpac came as a surprise to the 15 young sailors when they were told to meet in seclusion for that purpose one night last weekend.

'We expected that it was coming,' Wilmot said. 'We just didn't expect it that night. There were some jokes when we were choosing the skipper, [like] 'What do we want the skipper to be and what credentials do we want him to have?' and [someone said] 'Nationality.' They're a good fun crew.'

Piet van Os, 23, of La Jolla, Calif. was chosen as navigator. He is a senior at the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo.

With specific roles to be determined, other members of the 11-person crew are Chris Branning, Sarasota, Fla., 21; Graham Brant-Zawadzki, 22, Newport Beach, Calif.; Charlie Enright, 22, Bristol, R.I.; Jesse Fielding, 20, North Kingstown, R.I.; Robbie Kane, 22, Fairfield, Conn.; Chris Schubert, 22, Rye, N.Y.; Mark Towill, 18, Kahalu'u, Hawaii; Genny Tulloch, 22, Houston, Tex., and Chris Welch, 19, Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Chris Clark, 21, Old Greenwich, Conn.; Steve Manson 22, Baltimore; Kate Theisen, 20, Socorro, N.M., and Kit Will, 22, Milton, Mass., will continue to train as alternates and become vital shore support for the team in terms of boat prep, provisioning and maintenance. They'll also go to Hawaii at race time.

Disney said, 'They will always be part of the team. I was so impressed with the mature and tough-minded way they all took on this difficult task of agreeing on the final crew, and then went right out the next morning with the same dedication. It's still a team of 15 people. I think they are going to be formidable competitors.'

Morning Light will do its final training from Long Beach's downtown Rainbow Harbor---Transpac's mainland home port---in June and compete in the First Team Real Estate Invitational Regatta for the Hoag Cup June 8-10 in Newport Beach, where Disney will be honorary chairman.

Wilmot, a resident of Sydney who attends St. Mary's College of Maryland, will turn 22 in September. He is the son of Jamie Wilmot, a veteran of big-time ocean racing, including the annual Sydney-Hobart Race---which Jeremy has never done.

'My father hasn't let me do one yet,' he said. 'I've been watch captain on quite a few boats in other ocean races in Asia and on the East Coast but never skipper. Maybe he'll see how I go in this one and let me do the next one.'

Kirby tutored the team in techniques and procedures developed from his experience in two Whitbread/Volvo round the world races, several America's Cups and many other events. He'll work the bow on Disney's Pyewacket in the Transpac, starting alongside Morning Light in the last group of big boats off Point Fermin in San Pedro on Sunday, July 15.

'They wanted someone who could bring an America's Cup perspective and get their boat handling to a higher level, and coach them on everything from personal hygiene to safety stuff and medical training,' Kirby said. 'The kids are great and they’re really hungry to take their game up a notch.'

Wilmot said Kirby taught them 'amazing things [such as] offshore etiquette, getting the boat going, not just speed-wise but in the maneuvers. The bow team was amazed seeing how you can just manhandle a 52-boat boat. You can’t hesitate. You just go at it to get the job done. He brought that to the team.'

Kirby, 51, is still noted for his hyperactive life and youthful demeanor. 'If you want someone to coach kids, who better than the oldest kid on the planet?' he said.

One of his early America's Cups was as bowman on the ill-fated American challenge Eagle at Fremantle in Wilmot's home country in 1986-87, only months after Wilmot was born. Kirby related to where his career was then.

'I tried to explain to these kids that if they have any intention to take their game beyond this project – and 10 of the 15 aspire to go pro – to try to give them an insight into how serious the next level is. There are not a lot of opportunities for young kids to get out on big boats offshore. This is huge for them.'

If Ala Wai Yacht Harbor looks a little better today, part of the reason is the Morning Light team's way of saying mahalo.

On April 21 the young sailors led an Ala Wai Clean Up project with the Waikiki Yacht Club, Sierra Club, West Marine and 24 Hour Fitness to spruce up the harbor, not only for the Ala Wai community but to improve the quality of water for everyone. Team sponsors, boaters in the Ala Wai basin and the general public also joined in.

Equipped with shiny nets donated by West Marine, the army of volunteers launched a three-pronged attack on the garbage in the boat harbor. With extra manpower and inspiration from morning strollers joining in the effort, the Ala Wai Harbor was once again a beautiful place.

Photos of the team in training may be viewed at www.papahui.com/

More information: www.pacifichighproductions.com/ and www.transpacificyc.org