Chatting with the giants pt2

A pre-Colorcraft Gold Cup conversation with Victory Challenge's Magnus Holmberg and OneWorld's Peter Gilmour

PG: I think if I understand your question, how does it feel like to be working in the United States with OneWorld Challenge and how did that affect things. I guess it's very exciting. I guess I've often said to people when they have asked me, I would love to have been educated in this country and grown up and gone through the intercollegiate sailing program because I believe so many great sailors have been born through that program. You know, the great depth and talent and the sailing skill and tactical talent is quite something as well, and that's very well suited to the America's Cup game.
Obviously, OneWorld Challenge is also a team that is representing many of the strong America's Cup sailing nations from around the world, and, you know, that also is fun to have all of those people involved with the team and all working for Seattle Yacht Club.

I guess how is this going impact upon what we do with the Gold Cup? It really doesn't change anything at all. You know, we are obviously proud to be representing Seattle, and you we, like all of the teams, are very professionally going about our business of focusing on the America's Cup as well, and the Gold Cup is a very, very important step in that process.

So you will see us trying our hardest and doing our best as we always do.

Q. I've been informed that . . . this is to both skippers . . . I have been informed that Peter Holmberg has Paul Cayard as a crew member. What is your reaction to that?

MH: Well, that sounds interesting. I hope he has been working out a bit physically. It will be tough for him if it is windy, being crew, crewing on the team. But I'm sure that he will be very helpful on the team, of course, he's very, very experienced. He's done well in Bermuda before, and I think that he could definitely have a lot of influence on the team. So I guess that will make them stronger, if they can get to work together. I guess one of the risks with having such a good sailor on board as the tactician or something -- I think he would have to be careful not to run over Peter Holmberg's intuition and all that. But if they get that sorted out, then sailing together, I'm sure they will be a very strong team.

Q: Peter Gilmour, what's your reaction to that?

PG: I think it will only add to strengthen the team, and it certainly is something I guess similar to what I guess I've done with bringing Morgan along. So it really, it will be interesting to see how it all goes. I guess I withhold judgment.