The boys from Brazil

TJV Open 50 winners talk about disgust of frankfurters and Alex's sleepwalking

So, in the last 48 hours, you could almost taste Salvador, what was the thing that was really keeping you going?

Paul: My fingernails! Ha Ha! That¹s all, my fingernails and my cuticles! They're smoked, they're gone! Al? What was it? Frankfurters?

Alex: (Laughs) Yeah my last supper! I think in reality the wind. It's like the kill isn't it? The wind. We're both very competitive people, and joking aside, we wanted to win this race more than anything. We knew we were capable of doing it at the start of the race, we knew that we had a boat that could pull it off, and we certainly had a team behind us that were willing us and doing anything in their power to make it happen, and the last 18 days it's been our sole focus to win this race, and it's a job that we've achieved, which is fantastic.

Paul: It just had to be over ­ we'd been through so much. We lost the lead and we managed to drag it back, we had the boat that could finish the race, but as much as you didn't want it to the wind would just die off and get really frustrating. I get impatient with those situations.

Alex: VERY impatient!

Paul: Very impatient ­ that was when I wished we had a multihull because they just finish those last miles. There was always a possibly that whatever lead we had, it could dissolve just offshore. But we're sitting here now, and our competition still isn't in, which makes you realise the reality of a 50 mile lead starts to show, because obviously when you are sailing it seems like they are just a horizon or two away.

Paul ­ Best Part?

Paul: Best part of the whole race was going past Finisterre with the boat smoking. I was reflecting on everything I do in life ­ this is just the perfect balance. This is a great adventure, with good friends, you're leading a world class event, all of your passions that drove you as a child ­ they're right here at present on this wave! As it happens, as it unfolds ­ you stop looking at the future or the past, everything under the here and now. The early dawn moment, I wrote my diary and I'll always remember that.

And your worst part?

Paul: Probably that last serving of Frankfurters! He just insisted that we ate frankfurters ­ I would say we could eat this or this or this, and he would say "Isn't there another packet" and I would cut it out of the bag and eat four ­ you know, as you do if there isn't anything else to eat!

Alex - Favourite part?

Paul: Frankfurters!

Alex: It's got to be our top speed 28.8 knots ­ that was pretty full on..

Paul: Your eyes spun!

Alex: Yeah my eyes spun ­ it gets pretty noisy down there when the boat is under two foot of water!

Paul: (Imitating Alex) "What's happenin'? What's happenin'?!"

Alex: I think the Bay of Biscay, pushing hard ­ you can feel the motion, the power running through the boat, through the rigging, the structure, your hands..

Paul: And you know that you're going faster than anyone else out there. That's a great moment..

Alex: When two hours ago you passed your competition and you're going at least a knot faster, probably more. And they have their spotlights on you, but they are at least four of five boat lengths away from you. And you knew, that they knew that you were going faster - that's a nice feeling.

And your worst parts?

Alex: The equator. Without a doubt. The part when Paul made up some concoction from the galley ­ mashed potatoes, hot dogs and curry and then stripped me down and then just plastered me.

Paul: The Neptune ceremony!

Alex: Just awful! I think what came close to my favorite part was washing that all off!