Andy Beadsworth interview

In Auckland Ed Gorman speaks to the former Olympian about GBR Challenge and his role within it

mfs: Is that one of the bigger remaining pitfalls for the syndicate? Whereas in other teams there are obviously very strong personalities and it's obvious whose going to be at the back of the boat, with you guys it does seem to be a little more open - something which potentially could be quite destructive?

AB: There is a risk. It's the same as anything - there are advantages and risks and it's a known risk to us that we need to try and get a team to create the right chemistry because there is a huge amount of chemistry involved. It's not just about the best person and putting the best people together in a boat, you actually need to create the chemistry. That's around the corner and we're going to need to try and develop that. We are going to have to try and do as much racing we can.

Even if we do a day of testing, we need to fit in some racing to help develop that chemistry. Because we compromised at the beginning by swapping everybody around and not letting it settle down, I think it will pay dividends in the end to actually create the environment that were looking for.

mfs: What about the new boat? To some extent all of this depends on whether the new boat works or not. Is it a slightly freaky feeling not knowing what you're going to get?

AB: It's not in everybody's focus at the moment. It is going to become more and more so as we get closer to it. Right now we're dealing with what we can deal with. We're just trying to get all our crew manoeuvres right, our starting techniques, trying to work out how to sail the boat, what angles are good, speed-building and all the other elements we can control. The day is going to dawn, though, when we are going to go out sailing in our new boat and we are going to know whether it is fast or slow.

The only thing that is sort of in our favour is that, if there are any problems, we are getting our boat reasonably early. That is why we are a one-boat campaign because we are not going to end up getting a boat too late with too many variables we can't do anything about. We have actually got some time to work the new boat up and it doesn't matter how fast it is when it comes out of the shed, it will be faster by the time we do the Louis Vuitton Cup. That is one of the strong things about a one-boat programme.

mfs: Finally Andy, the British team seems to have a unique sense of drive, determination and enthusiasm. Do you feel that there is a sense of uniqueness about it?

AB: It is unique because it is an opportunity that hasn't existed for any of us. So many times in the past America's Cup Challenges raised their head in Britain only to sink beneath the waves without so much as a squeak. Hopefully at the end of this one, it will go into another one which will build on this one and it will be better than this one. But, yes, this is unique - it's a first generation, it's very pure and there isn't any baggage of any sort. It is an opportunity that we wished for and we were given and I know that everyone is very motivated to do as well as they can.

mfs: Thanks a lot Andy and the best of luck.

Below: Andy with Dave Barnes and Peter Harrison at the America's Cup Jubilee Regatta