Mark Covell - a madforsailing profile

I have been a professional sailor for nine years and also ran my own boat building company for twelve years.

What’s your most memorable moment in sailing?
There have been many fantastic moments that I would love to bore you with, but I will never forget the feeling of terror, determination and relief - in that order - when in race five of the 2000 Olympics we turned the last windward mark in 11th position and then sailed out of our skins to finish second and thus keep in the frame for a medal.

What’s your biggest remaining goal in sailing?
To win the Star Worlds - but I know my knees will never hold out so next best thing would be to sail and win the America's Cup for Britain.

How much time do you spend on the water each week?
In the early days of our campaign we would spend as much time as we could (Walker is a masochist when it comes to boat tuning). But before the Games we would try to only sail about four to five hours a day (felt like 10).

Do you have a sponsor, and if so, who?
Yes! United Airlines, Gill, Oakley, Marlow, O'Neil, Tacktick and the World Class Performance Program.

Who are your sailing heroes and why?
The late Glen Foster is a hero for me (an American Uffa Fox) I sailed with him on and off for about ten years and the stories and experiences he had over his 60 years of competitive sailing would have made a great book.
He sailed the America's Cup in his teens.
He raced at the front of the International 14 fleet for ten years.
He designed and built the first traveller car, (his crew at the time was a chap called "Peter HARKEN").
He founded the United States Finn Association.
He dominated the Tempest Class for three years.
He got a disappointing Bronze at the 1976 Olympics (he tells me he was robbed).
He was the Commodore of the New York Yacht Club.
He sailed across the Atlantic on his 69th Birthday.
He raced hard right up to his death wining the 5.5m Gold Cup in the heavy winds of Lake Garda. Just two weeks later at the age of 70 he passed away due to cancer.


What is the best excuse you’ve ever made for a poor performance in a race?
I ate all the pies!

What’s your favourite sailing venue?
Kinsale, Ireland - great waves, big winds, real Guinness, delicious food and a good crack. But Fremantle, San Francisco and Lake Garda have been impressive places to sail (and Miami is pretty cool if you like Hooters!).

What’s the single thing that could most improve the running of championship regattas?
Some sort of laser beam or pinpoint GPS system to determine which boat is over the line at the start!

What’s your greatest strength in sailing?
Rod Carr once said of me I had the ability to "plod" at an internationally high level, which I think was a compliment. Using my advanced plodding skills I think I'm quite good at meticulously working problems out and preparing body, boat and mind for major championships.

What’s your greatest weakness in sailing?
Being quite badly dyslexic I really struggle with the technical side of things, I can't remember rig settings and compass numbers so I'm forever making notes on the side of the boat to compensate. It's not too much of a problem when I sailed with the likes of Ian Walker and the late Glyn Charles as they both have brains the size of a planet.

What’s the single most important piece of advice you could give to younger sailors?
There is nothing you can't achieve with hard work and the will to win, so adopt a positive attitude and NEVER GIVE UP!

Would you rather sail with your friends - or with Russell Coutts?
I'd rather sail with my mates, all on the same wage as Russell Coutts.

Who’s the best sailor in Britain?
Ian Walker for the all round package.

Who’s the best sailor in the world?
Too hard to call, but I reckon Admiral Lord Nelson was pretty good in his time.

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