Olympic profile: Paul Foerster

The US Flying Dutchman and 470 silver medallist returns for another crack in the 470 Men's title

Paul Foerster is representing the US with Kevin Burnham in the 470 Men's class. After two days of racing the US team is currently lying in third place.

From Texas Foester cut his teeth on the highly competitive collegate circuit when he was attending the University of Texas.

His dream of going to the Olympic began aged 13 and a year after leaving University, he made to the Olympics sailing a Flying Dutchman at Seoul to 11th place. Sailing with a new crew, he won two FD World Championships (1991 and 1992) and then his first Olympic Medal, a Silver, in Barcelona. He continued to race J/24s and J/22s, picking up more championship titles, including a gold medal at the 1995 Pan Am Games in J/24 match racing, but when the FD was dropped from Olympic competition he stood down for Savannah.

Changing class to the 470, four years later Foerster once again made it on the podium in Sydney to collect his second Silver Medal. He wasn't expecting to sail another Olympics until he got the call from Kevin Burnham. Despite two years out of the boat, the duo found they did well against teams that had been sailing full time...and the rest is history.

Name: Paul Foerster

Where and when were you born? Rangely, Colorado

Marital status? Married, one nine month old Baby Boy with us in Athens

What age did you start sailing and what was your first regatta win? Maybe 12 years old. A J/24 Texas Circuit Regatta at age 17.

What's your biggest event or championship win? 2nd 1992 and 2000 Olympics, 1st 1995 Pan Am Games, 1st 1991 and 1992 Flying Dutchman World Championships.

Any other notable regattas you'd like to mention? 1st 1988 Flying Dutchman Europeans, 1st 2003 470 Europeans

Where did you grow up? Corpus Christi, Texas

If you're not sailing what job would you do? I currently work as a Mechanical Design Engineer for Raytheon in Garland, Texas.

What other sports do you do outside sailing? Basketball, running, cycling

Any other hobbies or interests? Hunting in Texas

Favourite method of relaxing? Going to the movies.

Favourite bar or pub? Don’t Drink Much

What inspired you to take up sailing? My dad bought a sailboat when we moved to Corpus, I was 10 years old and tagged along with my brothers and sisters

Which class did you first race in? Columbia 22. My brother and I were too small to pull the ropes, so my dad pulled the ropes and I got to steer.

Which coaches have you used and what are your recollections of them? I learned from all the people I sailed with. Dr Bill Allen taugh us how to sail a J/24, Bill Draheim, Mark Hallman, and others taught me in College, Jonathan Mckee taught me in the FD. And Skip Whyte taught me about 470s.

What's your most memorable moment in sailing? Sailing at the Sydney Olympics in the last race with thousands of people on the shore watching including my family.

Who will be on the podium in your class in Athens? We shall see.

Outside the Olympics, what's your biggest remaining goal in sailing? None

Do you have a sponsor and if so, who?
The people that sponsor us are back home in Texas, Florida and other parts of the USA that care about us representing the USA in the Olympics.

Who are your sailing heroes and why?
I don’t have any sailing heros.

What's your favourite sailing venue and why?
Any Place that is Warm

What's the single most important piece of advice you could give to younger sailors? The journey and experience is where the reward is.