Alistair Munro - a madforsailing profile

10th November 1953.

Where were you born?
London.

At what age did you start sailing?
Nine.

What inspired you to take up sailing?
My old man.

Where was your first sailing club?
Corinthian Otters.

Which class did you first race in?
Cadets.

How did you buy your first boat?
I didn't. The old man bought it.

What was your first regatta win?
Otter Week.

What’s your biggest event or championship win?
Fastnet Race 1985, British AC team 1981.

Any other notable regattas that you have taken part in would you like to mention?
Admirals Cup for Hong Kong and Austria (that well known offshore sailing nation). Sardinia Cup, Kenwood Cup Hawaii ,Southern Cross for Britain. Match racing with Chris Law (doing the bow so that I was far enough away from him) for about six years. America’s Cup 1980.

Which event will you be taking part in next?
Otter Week (what goes around comes around).

Do you do any sailing specific off the water training?
Loads.

Which coaches do you use if any?
Complicated Bill Edgerton.

Do you have any professional links to sailing?
Corporate sales manager for Musto.

If you weren’t doing the job you are, what would you like to be doing instead?
Going for dinner with Claudia Schiffer.

Which other sports do you take part in?
Fishing (with a 300-foot drift net). Shooting clays.

Do you have other hobbies or interests outside of sailing?
Pressing wild flowers.

How do you like to relax?
With a beer or dinner with friends.

Do you have favourite bar, pub or restaurant?
White Hart - Burnham, Pier View - Cowes, The Chequers - Lymington.

Tell us about your most memorable sail?
There has been quite a few but sailing an Open 60 from Burnham to Cowes in 25 knots of northerly breeze was fast. It went off like a frog in a sock.

Who are your role models?
Don’t have any.

What’s your biggest remaining goal in sailing?
I have ticked off most things but sailing on Farr 40, IC45 and a Farr 60 once was just fabulous.

How much time do you spend on the water each week?
I don’t drink water, fish fornicate in it.

Who are your sponsors?
Barclays Bank...but they don’t know it.

What is the best excuse you have ever given for a poor performance in a race?
We ran aground on a falling tide on top of a wreck around the back of the Island. We had to tie the anchor to the top of the mast to hold the boat up as the wreck was coming through the side of the boat (as was a bit of water)...Oddly enough it was the same wreck that Harold Cudmore hit two weeks before but in Irish fashion he holed his boat in shallow water then went out into the deep channel to sink.

What is the funniest thing you have either witnessed or experienced whilst sailing?
I was sailing on a Farr 50 in a RORC Channel race (and an AC trial) and we had a brand new mast on the Friday night ( when the race started) but it was in the piss by Saturday morning ( 75 miles up an 80 mile beat in 35 knots). I was down below at the time and came up on deck and said: "Anyone seen the mast?" and my brother answered: "What colour was it?"

Do you have a favourite sailing venue and what makes it a great place to sail?
Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands because if you go aground there is always a bar within walking distance.

What’s the single thing that could most improve the running of regattas?
Professional race officers.

What is your greatest strength in sailing?
Keeping everyone amused.

What is your greatest weakness in sailing?
Keeping everyone amused.

What’s the single most important piece of advice you could give to younger sailors?
Don’t eat yellow snow.

Who are your sailing heroes - and why?
Mark Dowland because he is so funny. When he was sailing on Morning Cloud with Edward Heath in the Sardinia Cup he was introduced to the Aga Khan, and said: "That’s amazing, my mum’s got one of your cookers."

If you could sail for a day with anyone of your choice who would it be and why?
Claudia Schiffer. Need you ask why?

Who do you think are the best sailors in Britain?
Our Olympic team obviously but Adrian Stead and Ellen MacArthur are certainly kicking arse.

Who do you rate as the best sailor in the world?
All the above.

=========================================

If you're reading this and you think madforsailing should be profiling someone you know ...

madforsailing want to profile all the top sailors - but we may be struggling to find some of them! If you'd like to tell us about someone you know, just click here and send us an email address or a phone number.