Duncan McDonald - a madforsailing profile

Paediatric anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine mainly but I do like going to the pub.

Do you have favorite bar, pub or restaurant?
Best pub is the Black Boy in Winchester, best restaurant after The Key bar is any curry house or for that matter I quite like Thai food too.

Tell us about your most memorable sail?
There are many but cart -wheeling the Basfhford 41 during Cowes week is up there aswell as sinking Tram in about 45 seconds during an unfortunate collision.

Who are your role models?
My role models in simple terms are those sailors who continuely win regattas but enjoy themselves at the same time. In more detail there are the out and out professionals many who receive much press and praise but it is the relatively unsung heroes amongst these who are the driving force or power houses such as Neal McDonald. There are also some supurb amateurs around who would hold there place on any proboat for example Toby Isles and then there are those extremely gifted semi pros such as Kevin Sproule.

What's your biggest remaining goal in sailing?
My biggest remaining goals in sailing are to finish in the top 3 in the regattas I do whilst enjoying them with my chums and of course to win the Farr 40 worlds on GBR25 and the Tour de France (next year)

How much time do you spend on the water each week?
Whenever I am not at work - one ot two days a week

Who are your sponsors?
The NHS. In the past my family.

What is the best excuse you have ever given for a poor performance in a race?
Having to swim to the start line in an International 14 regatta when I was late

What is the funniest thing you have either witnessed or experienced whilst sailing?
We Launched an 18 foot skiff from the creek behind our house in Hamble in December and Steve Butcher dislocated his shoulder in the middle of Southampton water. We had to send him into the water( not knowing whether he could swim with three limbs ) so he could be picked up by a motor boat and then Martin Jones and myself had to sail back two up in 30 knots whilst Steve stood on the shore watching and laughing as his shoulder had popped back in on the last wave they bounced off in the motor boat

Do you have a favorite sailing venue and what makes it a great place to sail?
San Francisco because its windy, Torquay because I always win there andHamble because it is home

What's the single thing that could most improve the running of regattas?
Free beer and topless girls with Tony Lovell (Southern) Rob Llewelyn (Torquay) or Jim Saltonstall as race officers.

What is your greatest strength in sailing?
The fact that I am an amateur. This allows me to have an unjaded desire to compete, in my own time, with the people I want to and beat the others whether they be professionals or not.

What is your greatest weakness in sailing?
Not enough match racing. This is common to many of my era.

What's the single most important piece of advice you could give to younger sailors?
Enjoy every second and learn from every race.

Who are your Sailing heroes and why?
Neal McDonald, Lisa McDonald and our cats Rum and Coke - although the latter are still learning and anyone who consistantly wins.

If you could sail for a day with anyone of your choice who would it be and why?
The above with Kevin Sproul and the GBR25 team

Who do you think are the best sailors in Britain?
Rum and Coke are up there with the best of the feline sailors beyond them there are several names in the GBR A/C campaign which I am sure you all know and then there are the medallists.

Who do you rate as the best sailor in the world?
Um Rum, Coke, Rum,Coke, Rum, Coke um I dont know really but Steve Redgrave is very good at rowing.

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