Glenn Bourke Interview - Pt1

3 time Laser World Champion, running the most successful Olympics ever, now illbruck, Glenn Bourke has done it all...

Bourke was typically thorough in his approach, applying the same no-stones-unturned mentality that had served him so well in the Laser. "I asked Atlanta how they did it, probably one of the interesting things was they did a few things very well and a few things quite poorly. It was easy to learn from their mistakes. What's really hard is modifying all the functional areas like accreditation and security to make it feel as much like a normal regatta to the sailors. The thing is, of course, it can never be the same, it's more high profile and there are more people involved in the management of it."

The numbers involved in running the Olympic regatta are pretty impressive. There were around 400 competitors in about 220 boats, competing across 11 different disciplines. "It was stressful, it was a big event, there were more people, more human resources issues, and there was a great bond between a great number of people - 1,200 in total - 800 volunteers, 150 immediate staff and another 250 contract staff."

It is a tribute to Bourke's management skills and the enthusiasm of his staff that just one volunteer failed to turn up for just one shift during the whole Olympic regatta. "There was a great volunteer culture amongst the Sydney people for those Games, and I think that was a huge part of the event’s success, along with the venues and the weather that we had."

He doubts whether Athens will enjoy the same volunteer culture and believes this is a key area where the Greeks may struggle to emulate the success of Sydney. Without that sense of collective enthusiasm, Bourke says his job would have been very tough indeed. As it was, it was one of the most fulfilling experiences of his life, and one that he ranks above almost any of his personal sailing achievements. "It was far more emotional for me, the team thing we had. I felt like I’d broadened myself as a human being and that we’d nurtured some feeling of brothership from the experience."

But he did not regret missing the opportunity to compete for an Olympic medal on the very waters where he had learned to sail over 20 years before? "I never felt any pangs about competing in Sydney. I was so involved in the preparation, working 16 hours a day for a year beforehand. I was running this juggernaut so I didn’t have time to think about the sailing."

Come back tomorrow to read Glenn's views on illbrucks dominance of the Volvo Ocean Race so far, and his plans for winning the America's Cup in 2006.