Russell Peters - a madforsailing profile

King of the Ultra 30 Grand Prix circuit

Where were you born? Heswall,Wirral.

What’s your date of birth?
9th December 1959.

What age did you start sailing?
Very early, I was about five.

What was your first regatta win?
It will have been some highly competitive Abersoch club regatta with about 6 other boats generally sailed by my sibblings.

What’s your biggest championship win?
Ultra 30 Grand Prix Series.

Any other notable regatta wins you’d like to mention?
Abersoch Dinghy week 2000 with the beloved Mrs P crewing.

What job do you do?
Surveying.

If you weren’t doing the job you are, what would you be doing instead?
Ask me next week!

What other sports do you do outside sailing?
Too old but down-grading to boring golf.

Any other hobbies or interests?
Yes!

Favourite method of relaxing?
Do you really expect me to answer. It’s a family site isn’t it?

Favourite bar or pub?
Some would say Stringfellows.

What inspired you to take up sailing?
The family just did.

Where was your first sailing club?
Abersoch and West Kirby.

Which class did you first race in?
Cadets and Hilbres and Squibs.

How did you buy your first boat?
Family wedge.

Have you ever used a coach?
Only to get to school.

Do you have any professional links to the sport?
I know Ian Walker!

What’s your most memorable moment in sailing?
Sailing the International 14 round the Isle of Wight in 1991.

What’s your biggest remaining goal in sailing?
To do it again.

How much time do you spend on the water each week?
If you said in, I bathe most days.

Do you have a sponsor, and if so, who?
No.

Who are your Sailing heroes and why?
All the 2000 Olympic squad including the coaching team.

What is the best excuse you’ve ever made for a poor performance in a race?
I spent too long on the phone.

What is the best excuse you’ve ever heard for a poor performance in a race, and from who?
Chris Lewis once broke his rudder more or less in half at a breezy Firefly championships and blamed that for slipping to 11th in the race. A reasonable excuse I thought!

What’s your favorite sailing venue?
Mounts Bay, Garda or the Caribbean.

What’s the single thing that could most improve the running of championship regattas?
GPS receivers or a link to help reduce General Recalls and split the fleets to a max of 25 per start.

What’s your greatest strength in sailing?
My gold card, mind you it’s also my weakness .

What’s your greatest weakness in sailing?
Getting to the start and also being persuaded to do races I know I will not enjoy.

What’s the single most important piece of advice you could give to younger sailors?
Sail one-designs and enjoy yourself.

Would you rather sail with your friends - or with Russell Coutts?
I don’t have any friends so I suppose my money-grabbing namesake.

Who’s the best sailor in Britain?
Impossible.

Who’s the best sailor in the world?
Ditto.

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