Gil Woolley (USA 2117)

Name: Gil Woolley
Nickname: Gil
Sail No: USA-2117
Boat name: Atzuma

Country: USA
Sailing Club: Santa Cruz Yacht Club
Weight: 15 stone
Height: 1.97 m 4 ft, 29 inches.
Age: 71 (by the time of the Worlds)

Number of years sailing (and on what)? 62 years. Dad's keel boat, Penguin, Sailfish, Cape Cod Knockabout, Sunfish, Beetle Cat, Cape Cod Mercury, El Toro, Super Satellite (boy, is that a stupid name for a boat. Of what was I thinking?), Thistle, 505, International One Design (keel boat) and Contender.

Number of years sailing the contender? 36 years. Launched my own boat 1 January, 1972

Why did you get on the Contender? No one could stand my body odor. Actually, Dr. Dennis Surtees kept going off sailing his 505 at various exotic sounding places like Adelaide and La Baule. Then sailing in the 505 Worlds at Santa Cruz in 1971 is what pushed me over the edge. It was so exciting seeing sailors coming from all over the world to my favourite sailing venue. I had to do more of that.

Number of Worlds? 17: 1976 - Palo Alto, 1977 - Kiel, 1979 - Takapuna in New Zealand, 1981 - Kingston, 1984 - Garda, 1989 - Brisbane, 1995 - Connecticut, 1997 - Sydney, 1999 - Kiel, 2000 - Medemblik, 2001 - Kingston, 2002 - Melbourne, 2003 - Plymouth, 2004 - Garda, 2005 - Travemünde, 2006 - Fremantle, 2007 - Medemblik.

Favourite Worlds Moment? In first place crossing eventual winner Barry Watson's bow on the first work at Garda in 1984. 113 competitors. Finished that race in 4th place. I'll never forget that.

Favourite Food? Vindaloo

How do you keep in shape? Eat lots of Vindaloo. Cleans you right out.

Stupidest thing you've done on the boat? Tee boned an Enterprise.

Goals for the 2008 Worlds? Have fun. Have a great time. See lots of old friends and meet new ones. Maybe, maybe maybe finish in the top half of the fleet.

What you'd like to do/see at the 2008 Worlds? The winner on my transom at the finish line of a race.

Any other comments? The Brits are wusses if they don't send a container of 10 boats. Their idea of good sailing is so distorted. They ought to come to see really good sailing weather.