Interview: 2009 Moth World Champion Bora Gulari

Get to know Bora Gulari

On August 16, 2009, Bora Gulari became the first American to win the Moth World Championships since 1976. Bora has been sailing competitively since the late 1990’s and has competed as a single-hander or double-hander in the JY15, Club 420, Melges 24, and 49er classes, in addition to the Moth. Recently, I had the honor of meeting him over lunch in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Now you can get to know Bora a little better, too.

35 KNOTS: Tell me a little bit about your family background, where you grew up and so on.

Bora Gulari: I was born in Turkey. Then when I was little, my parents -- they're both chemical engineers -- moved to the States. We lived in New York for a while, and then my dad got a tenured position at the University of Michigan. He's a professor in the engineering department. ...His specialty is Chemical Engineering, mass transport of chemicals. My mom got a lecturer position and eventually a tenured professorship at Wayne State [University] in Detroit. ...She's now the dean of the College of Engineering at Clemson.

So I grew up in Ann Arbor, pretty much. Went to U of M [the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor].

35 KNOTS: Where did you attend high school? When did you graduate?

Bora: Ann Arbor Greenhills Academy... Must have been 1994.

35 KNOTS: And college? You mentioned you went to the University of Michigan; what was your degree in, and when did you graduate?

Bora: I got my degree in Aerospace Engineering, in 2000. I took some time off to do this and that, you know how it is (laughs).

35 KNOTS: Any siblings?

Bora: Yeah, I have a half-brother. He's 13.

Started Out on Windsurfers

35 KNOTS: Now let's talk about your sailing career. How did you get started in sailing?

Bora: My family -- we did a lot of windsurfing together. When I was about 5, my dad got me up on a board over on Gallup Pond [a popular Ann Arbor park, on the Huron River]. We used to go there all time, on weekends -- there'd be about 30 of us or so and we'd have these races. Both my mom and my dad windsurfed; it's just what we'd do as a family together.

In the late 1990's, I was working part-time in a hotel up near Plymouth [Road, in Ann Arbor], and I got to know this guy, he had a 40-foot boat. We were always talking about sailing, and he was always joshing me, you know, "When are you going to sail on a real boat?" So finally I took him up on it.

University of Michigan Sailing Team

35 KNOTS: At U of M, you were on the sailing team there, right? Tell me a little bit about that.

Bora: Yeah, I heard about the sailing team but it took me a few years to join it. When I finally did, I was hooked. It's a club sport there, you know -- no official coaches. I didn't get involved in the politics of running the club, I just showed up to sail. We had a JY15 and that's what I started out on. And then the club got some Club 420's -- that's a boat that's often used in college competitions and junior regattas.

U.S. Sailing Team

35 KNOTS: After you graduated from U of M, what happened in your sailing career for the next few years?

Bora: I was on the U.S. Sailing Team. U.S. Sailing, that's the governing body that runs the national sailing team for a number of boat classes. I was sailing the 49ers, the Olympic-class skiff. I did the pre-Oympics. You go there before the Olympics, the team sails on the Olympic course, gets used to it. I guess I must've come in 4th or something on the qualifying races; I was getting used to a new partner. So I didn't quite make it into the Olympics themselves, but it was a great experience.

35 KNOTS: You mentioned a partner – were you double-handing?

Bora: Yeah, I started out double-handing at first. But then it’s really hard to find a partner in this area [Detroit area] to practice with and compete with. So my dad pushed me to get into single-handing, that way I could just, you know, get out there and do it. So that’s how I got started single-handing.

Getting Started With The Moth Class

35 KNOTS: How did you get involved in racing Moths and hydrofoils?

Bora: Rohan Veal -- he's been called the "Lord of the Wings" (laughs). He's the one who first successfully competed on hydrofoil Moths. He put a lot of work into foils, developing them, getting them approved for the Moth class. He started the company, Bladerider, with Andrew McDougall, to make and sell foil Moths. How I got started -- I saw it on YouTube, actually. I just said, "I have got to try that!"

35 Knots: And does Bladerider sponsor you, officially?

Bora: Not officially. Strictly speaking, I'm actually still an amateur -- though some people argue with that, given the amount of racing I do. Bladerider lists me as a member of their team. That means they gave me a discount on my boat, make sure I have all the parts I need at a race. And then I do some publicity for them. It's a win-win.

35 KNOTS: You’ve sailed on a number of different types of boats over the years. Do you have a favorite size or type of boat?

Bora: I love my Moth!

2009 Moth World Championships

35 KNOTS: Bora, tell me about this year's Moth Worlds. What were your hopes going into the event?

Bora: I would have been disappointed if I hadn't gotten into the Top 5 or 6 -- given the amount of time put in, preparing.

35 KNOTS: At what point did you realize that you might actually win it?

Bora: After a couple days into the event, I realized how fast I was going and I began to think I might really win it. ...It was a fantastic experience -- both my mom and dad were there.

35 KNOTS: You say, "when you realized how fast you were." What do you think accounts for that speed at the Moth Worlds?

Bora: Spending the time. Putting in the time on my boat. I knew how it should feel when everything was just right; I could tell right away when something needed to be tweaked. You just really have to know your boat. You gotta put in the time.

35 KNOTS: Do you have any particular short-term goals in sailing?

Bora: I want to do the Moth Worlds again. It's hard -- your whole life you want to win a World Championship at something, and then when you do, it's kind of hard to figure out what you want to do next.

35 KNOTS: And it was quite a decisive win, too.

Bora: Yeah, it was. (chuckles) It could have been even more decisive, but my first few races were off. Had some misunderstandings early on. Then Charlie McKee gave me some coaching. When I got that straightened out, I started to think, "You know, I could really do this!"

In the next month or so, I'm going to do the Melges 24 World Championships. I'm hoping to get into the Top 10 in that race.

Racing on the Bigger Boats

35 KNOTS: Do you have any long-term goals?

Bora: Yeah, I think it's just about time to think about really going pro. I'm definitely getting some hints in that direction.

...I really like racing big boats, too. I don't just do buoy racing -- you know, when you just go out and race around a course. When you have a destination a couple hundred miles away, that's a lot of fun too. I've done the Chicago to Mackinac, Port Huron to Mackinac, Newport to Bahamas...

...A buddy of mine, Philip O'Niel, he's got a 46-footer, the Natalie J. ...He's the one who really got me started racing on bigger boats. In fact, I just came off a race with him, the Beneteau 36.7 Nationals over in Wisconsin...

I'm the tactician on Philip's team. I like that, I like being in charge of what's going to happen. I have a unique skill-set, but there's not a lot of guys my age in the ocean-racing circuit who are in charge. I need to establish myself as a guy they can trust. Me, I'm just this young guy from Detroit (laughs).

35 KNOTS: Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of racing?

Bora: No, sailing's just about it. I get a little stir-crazy when I can't get out on the water. My best buddy, George Peet, he's always saying, you know, "What's the wind like out there today? Let's get out there."

35 KNOTS: Tell me a little bit about George Peet.

Bora: He's a great sailor -- he was in the Volvo Ocean Race, not this time, but the time before. He's a great guy.

35 KNOTS: Do you think you'd ever like to do the Volvo Ocean Race or something similar?

Bora: Oh, well, I'd like to get involved in ocean racing. The Volvo round-the-world race – not sure if I’m ready for that yet – those guys go through a lot! (smiles)

Calls Detroit Home

35 KNOTS: What would you say is your "home port"?

Bora: The Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit. It's over by Grosse Point. It's right at the bottom of Lake St. Clair, right at the start of the Detroit River.

I live in Detroit, about a mile from the yacht club -- I like to live by the water. I moved over to Detroit from Ann Arbor so I could be closer to the water. I live in this great little neighborhood, Harbor Island. It’s a great little gem. There's a lot of these little pockets in Detroit -- great places to live -- that a lot of people don't know about. Especially if they're not from Michigan.

Inspirations

35 KNOTS: You mentioned Rohan Veal, George Peet, Philip O'Niel, and you said Charlie McKee gave you some coaching at the Moth Worlds. Are there any other sailors who have inspired you?

Bora: My dad; my dad and my mom. They inspire me.

35 KNOTS: What would you say are some traits that you need to have, or develop, to succeed at the highest levels of sailboat racing?

Bora: Determination. Lots of self-confidence. Self-doubt is always in the back of my mind. And a little bit of faith, too. Faith in your ability.