Due to the lack of sponsors Gilbert has desided not to participate in the race. Still he will finish his boat "Skippy" and has plans for a TransAtlantic Crossing. This site will keep you informed!
New design rudder, keel and bulb
Hello,
my name is Gilbert Van Meel and I'm one of the contenders in the AiT (Around in Ten), a race around the world for sailboat's of merely 10 feet in lenght, which is due to start in Januari 2009 at the Bahama's.
Why get yourself involved in such an adventure? That's a though question to answer cause many people have a different opinion about this "adventure". Some say it's plain stupidity, some say it's worthless and proves nothing and even a few say that it's perhaps not that crazy after all.
For myself I decided that I reached an age where the chances of taking part in a physical adventure,are decreased with the cube of time. If you're 20 years of age you can wait another 10 or 20 years to climb the ultimate mountain piek, if you're 53 you don't have those 10 or 20 years left before the body starts to interfere with the mind to undertake such an adventure as the AiT.
Do I have a dead wish ? Hell no !! I have spend enough time in hospitals intensive care units to know that life can be too wonderfull to end it early on purpose.
That's probably one of the reasons that I consider the AiT more an event than a race simply because I will not go over to the "edge", just to be the winner of this race. I will do the best I can to win but hope that my mind stays realistic enough to know the boundary's of myself and my boat under all circumstances. If this means that I will be the last of the pack at arival, than so it be !
The intention of this webpage is to inform those who are interested in "Skippy" (my boat for the AiT) and keep them updated about the construction and everything that goes with this race.
Thanks to Paul Kersbergen who made it possible for me to be on his website.
