12m owner Don Woods

madforsailing look at one of yachting's most colourful characters, Don Wood, owner of Italia

A two tonner was Don's next purchase. Turkish Delight was once a Japanese team's Admiral's Cup boat. Don renamed her Red Source and raced her at Cowes Week taking many of that Week's Trophies. She was later chartered by Larry Ellison's company Oracle as a training boat for the Admiral's Cup with Tim Law at the helm. Red Sourcewas part of the Guernsey team in the Commodore's Cup with an all-stars crew including Paul Standbridge, Gordon Maguire and former madforsailing editor Mark Chisnell. But sadly her rig came down off Plymouth.

In 1993 Don chartered Provezza Source to do the Admiral's Cup and with Chris Dickson on tactics, Stuart Childerly steering and Craig Nutter with whom Don did the grinding on board. Preferring the back of the boat he returned to Red Source, winning Cowes Week again in 1995 and 1997.

In White Source, Don regained his taste for multihulls. White Source was a Formula 40 catamaran that had raced on this short lived circuit in France before moving to the Swiss Lakes. When Don purchased her she had been mothballed, lying in a barn in France. The catamaran was the antidote to Don's disillusionment with the IRC and IRM rules and he had a fun summer in her, often seen screaming around the Solent with crew members water skiing off the back.

Don has never bought a brand new boat. He likes to build one or rescue one. He gets more out of buying a boat then either restoring it, refitting or rebuilding it. He feels you get more satisfaction from this approach than starting from scratch and any results you get become a bonus.

The America's Cup Jubilee coupled with his admiration for 12 metres inspired Don to buy 12 metre Italia while on holiday in Cannes two years ago, from an Italian who now owns the French 12m challenger French Kiss.

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