Ian Walker - a madforsailing profile

Where did you grow up?
Chipstead , Sevenoaks, Kent.

What job do you do?
Full-time sailor.

If you weren’t doing the job you are, what would you be doing instead?
Entrepreneur?

What other sports do you do outside sailing?
Golf, tennis, football and skiing.

Any other hobbies or interests?
Walking my dog!

Favourite method of relaxing?
A pint of beer and read the paper or a round of golf.

Favourite bar or pub?
Jim Thomson’s on New Kings Road, London.

What inspired you to take up sailing?
My sister and living near Chipstead Sailing Club.

Where was your first sailing club?
Chipstead SC.

Which class did you first race in?
Mirror and Firefly.

How did you buy your first boat?
My parents bought one for my sister and I.

Have you ever used a coach?
Yes more recently.

Do you have any professional links to the sport?
Yes, I coach, write articles and do tactics on keelboats.

What’s your most memorable moment in sailing?
I have so many. Maybe sailing down Sydney Harbour with the Union Jack flying after winning the silver medal.

What’s your biggest remaining goal in sailing?
To win the America’s Cup.

How much time do you spend on the water each week?
It depends. In an Olympic year over 50%.

Do you have a sponsor, and if so, who?
Yes, United Airlines.

Who are your Sailing heroes and why?
I don’t have any, but I respect many guys (and girls).

What is the best excuse you’ve ever made for a poor performance in a race?
I don’t make excuses but I once lost a schools race because my spinnaker halyard got caught on a wooden post in Chichester Harbour. I had to get out of the boat and climb the post to free it!

What is the best excuse you’ve ever heard for a poor performance in a race, and from who?
Sailing is full of excuses - I can’t remember the best.

What’s your favourite sailing venue?
Miami, San Francisco or Sydney. In the UK, Chichester Harbour and Hayling Bay.

What’s the single thing that could most improve the running of championship regattas?
Make the racing more flexible with shorter regattas. Race more when conditions are good and less on bad days.

What’s your greatest strength in sailing?
Concentration and fighting back when things are going badly.

What’s your greatest weakness in sailing?
Sometimes I am too impatient.

What’s the single most important piece of advice you could give to younger sailors?
Set yourself goals and analyze what you do in order to improve.

Would you rather sail with your friends - or with Russell Coutts?
Russell Coutts is a friend and it was great to race with him, but you can’t beat sailing with and against your mates!

Who’s the best sailor in Britain?
There is no single best sailor. Britain has a wealth of talent who excel in the branch of the sport they do. The Olympic Sailing Team is superb but I bet they couldn’t beat Richard Estaugh in a GP14 or David Edwards in a Fireball, let alone Ellen MacArthur in an Open 60!

Who’s the best sailor in the world?
Same problem, but John Kostecki is right up there in my books.


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