Back on dry land, Ian Walker speaks about smashing the Round Britain and Ireland record, finishing first of the Volvo Ocean 65 fleet - and what this means for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.
Credit : RORC/CNN Mainsail
This victory – what does it mean to you and your team?
“I’m very pleased. I’m very, very pleased, because it was the perfect performance. And I’m delighted for every crew member because it was a lot of work.”
How significant is the fact that you’ve set the new record (four days, 13 hours, 10 minutes – beating Groupama’s 2010 best by one day, eight hours, 16 minutes)?
“It’s pretty exciting that we smashed it by more than a day with these new Volvo Ocean 65 boats. And all five boats made it around safe and in one piece despite the rough weather. It’s a good sign of things to come.”
Tell me about your competitors, and the Spanish red boat that followed you closely around the race track…
“I wasn’t surprised at all by the performance of the Spanish team. I know Iker Martínez very well, and he’s got a very strong crew. I knew they were going to be strong before this race, so I was very delighted to get clear from them. The racing in the Volvo Ocean Race will get closer as the other teams improve and learn too.”
A key learning point for your team?
“Lots of them! We learnt to deal with the intensity of the racing. During the first day for example, it was the first time we really gybed in such strong winds. After only two days at sea everybody was shattered onboard – it was rough.”
Weaknesses?
“I don’t think there is any particular one. There are just small errors in everything, things we can do slightly better. We can always be better.”
Was there a moment during this race when you thought – this is it, these are my guys, and we have the potential to win the next Volvo Ocean Race?
“I was very confident before. I know we’ve got good people, and I know we’ve had very good training. But you never know for sure until you go racing. I’m pleased to see that we are on track. Everybody is improving. In terms of the race, this is very pleasing, but it’s just the first stage. We’ve got to focus on the round the world one.”
Last one – you’ve done the Volvo twice before, both times as a skipper, but you never won. How different does it feel this time?
He pauses. “The big difference is the boat. We’ve got a chance. Last time around, we arrived in Alicante not knowing if we had a chance or not. Now, with the same boat for everyone, I know that if we sail well, you will do well. If we make mistakes, we will do badly.
“One-design makes me more relaxed. It was actually the first time I was looking at the position reports when racing in a Volvo fleet and not losing miles all the time!” he laughs.
From : VOR
