The new Italian

Nigel Cherrie talks to Andy Hemmings, the sole Brit on Prada's sailing team

mfs: What can you tell us about the development of the two new generation International America's Cup Class (IACC) yachts?

AH: Only that they are going to be here this year!!

mfs: Have you had any input into them?

AH: The sailing team has had an input into the deck layout but we have big technical departments here and in Italy to sort everything else out obviously.

mfs: On the water, are the team happy sailing on the Hauraki Gulf?

AH: Speaking personally I like New Zealand. The weather has been crap this last month and if anyone ever says England has more rain than New Zealand, they are lying. The sailing on the water has been going very well. The last month has been windy and we have spent a lot of days sailing in a lot of wind so every time we go out, we learn. Our confidence is growing all the time.

mfs: What range of skills do you add to the team on the water?

AH: I wasn't brought in for my big boat skills so I was primarily brought on board because of the match racing I have done with Chris Law. I knew Francesco before as I had sailed with him on Brava Q8 (the ILC40) but I had been match racing on the circuit for five years prior to joining Prada so I knew quite a lot about that area.

mfs: So to GBR Challenge. How does it feel to be sailing for Italy when the guys you grew up with, learned to sail with in the RYA Youth Programme and did Olympic campaigns with are now sailing for a British challenge down the road?

AH: I won't deny it is hard because there is a part of me that would have liked to have done the campaign with them. I have good friends down there; Andy Beadsworth, Ado [Adrian Stead], Ian Walker, Jules [Salter], Shag [James Stagg]. I sailed for 8-10 years with some of those guys. I have a huge number of friends down there but the problem was that Prada approached me before there was anything concrete with the British. I was warned something could be happening while I was in discussions but that warning had happened too many times before in England. The offer with Prada, which was more the ability to win, was too good.

mfs: GBR Challenge have stated the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup as their goal, is that optimistic or realistic?

AH: It's realistic. British people have a great way of playing things down. I know within that team they are working hard and they have some very talented sailors and Ian (Walker) is a very good leader. Their goal of the semi-finals is certainly achievable and for the long term of British sailing I hope it is (achieved). It would really nice in the long term for everyone if the whole thing just rolled straight on into another campaign, like Prada did last time.

mfs: Would you consider sailing for a British America's Cup campaign in the future?

AH: Of course I would, but I'm not saying what I'll be doing after Prada. I might be fed up and just want to go and sit on my farm for a couple of years! But it all depends on what happens in this campaign.

mfs: And what if the Cup goes to Italy?

AH: Well, in that instance, of course I'd like to be there.

mfs: What of the defenders, Team New Zealand, how do you rate them?

AH: They started this campaign with the fastest boat in the world. One would presume they are only going to go forward. Dean Barker and the guys he has got around him are very strong. Despite all the problems with people defecting he still went out and managed to win the match racing world championship. I think they are going to be very strong indeed.

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