Ian Budgen interview part 2

On headsail trimming a Cup boat and the structure of GBR Challenge's sailmaking team

Like all the syndicates in the Viaduct Basin, GBR Challenge see a majority of their sails come from North 3DL plant in the Nevada desert but also have a busy in-house sail loft with 13 regularly working in it. "There are the six trimmers and four full time loft staff two or three of which have come directly from North UK and one of whom is a Kiwi who has just been employed here. So there's a lot of people, but then we deal with a lot of sails and the sails are big and heavy and we have a lot of work. The headsails and mainsails come in from 3DL in the States and we have to finish them here. So that means we have to put on luff tapes, patches, and clew and tack rings, spreader patches and just generally finishing them off. A headsail takes about one and a half day to finish. And a mainsail takes about three days."

In total he guesses they have been through around 80 sails, possibly more with spinnakers and to give an example - they have three codes of mainsail to suit the widely varying conditions in the Hauraki Gulf.

If he weren't sailing with GBR Challenge Budgen hesitates when I ask him what he'd be doing. The choices seem to come down to big boats or another Olympic campaign. "I still have aspirations of doing an Olympic campaign but one of the important things is picking a class that suits your weight and skills. We [he and his brother Andy] had spoken about doing a Soling, but of course the Soling got removed. I'd never go up against Percy in the Star, because that is a waste of time. I'd never do the Laser or the Finn, so there's not a lot left. I'd be too big for 470 and that leaves the Tornado or 49er. There's a chance I might have had another stab at a 49er, but that always would always be difficult because Andy and I sailed so much together in the 5000 and we sailed the 49er really well, although we did have our problems and we weren't the fastest boat on the water when it came down to the trials. But when you get that relationship with somebody, especially when it is your brother, it is really hard then to start sailing with someone else."

Despite being known as Laser 5000 champions, the Budgens' background was in big boats sailing in Scotland on the family Etchells before graduating up to a Sigma 33. Prior to signing up with GBR Challenge Budgen did part of the Tour Voile and over the winner drove the Corel 45 Babbelas. "I really enjoyed that so I was beginning to settle into a bit of big boat sailing, whether that would have gone on I don't know," he admits.

Back to reality and Budgen expresses the sentiments of GBR Challenge and all their supporters: "It will be really exciting. We all can't wait down here for racing to start and - fingers crossed - that 70 is as fast as we think it is."