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Competing at that level is quite harsh and not
always pretty so if you catch me in the right
mood I can tell you a few stories not suited to
the written word!
Do you get much water time at each event?
Yes! Thanks to my wife I never miss a course race event. Once
we get everything set up the team works like clockwork. Slalom
is a bit different. It’s far more complicated to run. With lots of
heats there is more scope for things to go wrong so I normally
get to do about 50% of the races. I always think with a course
race if something happens on the start line you have 30-40
minutes to get over it. Slalom is different as it’s high octane. If
someone messes with you on the start three minutes later at
the finish you still want to, shall we say have a ‘conversation’.
This is much more challenging to manage although we do
seem to have them all pretty well trained at the moment.
am happy to be part of it. I am, however, very conscious that
it is the youngsters which have the good ideas. With the best
will in the world next year I will be 60. That’s certainly not old
in today’s terms but as you get older and you have been in a
position for some time you end up just ‘doing the job’. New
blood is needed and for this reason we have just set up a
youth committee. The hope is that they can bring fresh ideas
to the table which we the established committee can action
on their behalf. I would be happy to stand aside whenever a
replacement steps forward and give them my full support –
change is generally a good thing.
What about with your personal sailing?
Any specific plans moving forwards as far as you
and the UKWA goes?
If people want me to do this then I will give it my best shot.
We have a great team and whilst the team stays together I
It would be fair to say I am pretty obsessed. I love to race in
any format. I would like to spend more time free sailing and
learning new skills. I am hoping to retire in the near future
and move from Birmingham to the coast. We have not yet
uk
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SURFING