Chris Mason - a madforsailing profile

Winchester, Hampshire.

What’s your date of birth?
30th June 1958.

What age did you start sailing?
13 years old.

What was your first regatta win?
Guadeloupe to Antigua race, 1976.

What’s your biggest championship win?
Admiral's Cup 1989 (with the Brits), 1999 (with the Dutch).

Any other notable regatta wins you’d like to mention?
Bermuda Gold Cup, Nippon Cup, Congressional Cup, British National Match Racing Champions, Swan Worlds, Swan Europeans, IMS 50 foot Europeans, IMS 50 foot Worlds.

Where did you grow up?
Winchester.

What job do you do?
Professional sailor.

If you weren’t doing the job you are, what would you be doing instead?
Something to do with sport or working outside somehow - not in an office. My career's adviser had me down for the army or a dental technician.

What other sports do you do outside sailing?
Squash, golf (badly), cricket.

Any other hobbies or interests?
No!

Favourite method of relaxing?
Playing and watching sport with my children.

What inspired you to take up sailing?
My Father had a keen interest in sailing, we raced together in a 505, it was great fun.

Where was your first sailing club?
Solent Breezes Sailing Club (Warsash).

Which class did you first race in?
First competitive race was on a 70 foot maxi ketch called Jader.

How did you buy your first boat?
The only boat I have ever owned is an Optimist I bought for my son last year.

Have you ever used a coach and who were they?
We had two coaches in the 1983 America’s Cup, Peter Bateman and Robert Hopkins. Robert was the USA Olympic coach and he was the first motivational coach I had ever come across. He did a good job of building the confidence of a very young crew. In 1995, with the Nippon America’s Cup Challenge, we had Peter Gilmore and Don Cowie. They came in at the end of three long, hard years with new eyes and enthusiasm. They were able to take an outside view of the campaign, and we made a few leaps in that period. In the Soling and Star we had Bill Edgerton, who is a great all-round coach with skills in rules, weather, boat maintenance, organisation etc.

What professional links do you have to the sport?
I have been a sailmaker, boat builder, boat captain, coach, project manager and professional sailor for 23 years - and an Optimist parent.

What are your most memorable moments in sailing?
Finishing a very nasty Sydney-Hobart Race or watching Australia 2 do her first handbrake turn in the Challenger's Finals for the 1983 America’s Cup - or hearing that Ian and Mark had won a Silver medal at the Sydney Games in the Star (along with Derek Clark, Chris was their coach).

What’s your biggest remaining goal in sailing?
To sail in the winning British America’s Cup team.

How much time do you spend on the water each week?
Depends on what is happening. During the America’s Cups we were on the water for 40 hours a week. When I sailed with Lawrie Smith in the Star it was 50 hours. But during winter in England it's zero hours!

Do you have a sponsor, and if so, who?
I have sailed in many teams which have been sponsored, but have never been individually sponsored.

Who are your Sailing heroes and why?
My sailing heroes are all the people who enjoy sailing.

What’s your favourite sailing venue?
Key West - it is the end of another winter and the start of another racing year.

What’s the single thing that could most improve the running of championship regattas?
Employ more professional people.

What’s your greatest strength in sailing?
Experience.

What’s your greatest weakness in sailing?
Everything I have forgotten.

What’s the single most important piece of advice you could give to younger sailors?
Try to watch the Walkers, Ainslies, Percys, Robinsons, Barkers and Beadsworths - and learn from them.

Would you rather sail with your friends - or with Russell Coutts?
I have sailed with both; in a tight situation Russell is hard to beat, he can get the best out of a crew. Sailing with friends is always fun.

Who’s the best sailor in Britain?
You are only as good as your last race.

Who’s the best sailor in the world?
As above.

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