Victoria & Emma Rawlinson talk to madforsailing

Peter Bentley interviews Britain's reigning Youth World Champions

What about sailing sisters. How does your relationship on the boat work? E. We've been sailing with each other for ages - three years - so we know how not to put each other off and we know that there's no point in arguing because it'll just make you go slower because you're not concentrating on your job. So we just try not to annoy each other and try to you know if I do something wrong Victoria won't say: "Oh you did that wrong." She knows, I know exactly what not to say and what to say. The thing is we both want the goal so much and so we will both do anything.

Ashore do you live in the same room as sisters or do you go your separate ways?
E. We both live together basically - like twins.

Do you have assigned duties - one looks after the boat and the other one sorts the food out or do you muck in with everything together?
E. The main part of the boat works - whipping, calibrations - is my job and Victoria does more on the organisation.

What about your mum and dad. What role do they play in it all?
V. Transport and, money. When they're with us at the weekend they have a low profile.

Do they push your trolley in and out of the water or do they leave you to look after yourselves?
E. Mum sort of like gives us food and stuff like that and dad's always there for us when tired and cold at the end of the day. He'll quickly pack the boat away and then we'll sort it out in the morning check it before going out racing.

You've done a lot of work with Paul Brotherton. What's he done for your sailing?
V. He's been fantastic, he's been really good. He came in before the worlds and he's shown us a lot of new things. How to control emotions and go up and down a level. Also much more about sailing skills and balance of the boat.

How does the future look? Victoria, you've got one more year in the 420s and Emma has two more years. E. We've currently got a 470 and are training in it. We're hoping to train in the 470 a lot over the next few years and maybe go to the Olympics in 2004. If not in 2004 then maybe we will carry on until 2008.

People would say looking at you that you're the wrong way round in the boat the tall one at the back and the slightly shorter ones in the front. Do you see that as a problem?
V. I think we can get ourselves sorted out because Emma is still growing and I can get lighter.

E. I have been told I will probably be taller than Victoria when I have finished growing.

How important is the new regime within the RYA in terms of support? How critical is it in the whole programme?
V. It's brilliant. In the run up to the youth worlds last time we got a load of help from the psychologist and the physiologist. They helped us with a fitness programme, a diet programme and all that sort of thing. Also, we didn't have to worry about funding we got support from the RYA squad and Volvo was a fantastic sponsor as well.

Final question. Are you going to do it again in Crozon Morgat?

Both. (Together - as if by magic). Hopefully.