| Can you explain your role within the team? |
I am responsible for all the technical aspects of the teams’ preparation. My job covers everything from research into weather and tide through making sure we have all the facilities we need at the venues. Along the way, we have plenty of really interesting projects focused on making boats go faster. Fortunately I don’t have to do everything myself and I have a team of people working around me doing all kinds of specialist jobs. |
| How did you get involved with the team? |
By accident, twice. A long time ago I was a mechanical engineer, then somehow I became a coach. One thing led to another. It’s a long story. |
| Can you explain what a normal day in your role involves? |
Nothing about my day is ever normal. One day I could be working with a team of software engineers designing weather monitoring equipment, the next I might be figuring out how to load more boats than seems reasonable into a shipping container for transport to a far-flung event. At events, I spend more time than I would like fixing boats – mostly for the coaches.The only thing that does seem to be a common thread in my days is that they start early and finish late! |
| How far has technology developed since you starting working with the team? |
Perhaps surprisingly, the technology of the boats has not changed that much. There has been incremental development but very few step-changes in what we do or the way we do it. The big change, as with just about every other walk of life has been in information technology. Maybe I’m showing my age, but we did not have mobile phones or e-mail when I started. Now we are surrounded by computers and iPhones. I’m not sure it all makes a huge difference to the outcomes, though it certainly changes the way we do business |
| What’s the biggest challenge in your job role? |
Keeping on top of things in so many different areas is pretty tough. My biggest single frustration is people who don’t do what they say they are going to do when they say they are going to do it. People who work outside the world of high performance sport simply don’t understand the pressure we are under to deliver. I spend a huge amount of time chasing people up. |
| Best moment in your career so far? |
Seeing Shirley Robertson win Gold in Sydney with a mast I had nursed over a period of nearly seven years. The Yngling Golds in 2004 and 2008, both with masts I had built myself were very nearly as good. |
| What’s your greatest fear or phobia? |
Missing something that could have made a difference to how many medals we win. |
| What would you love to do but never have the time or money for it? |
Take a year to pilot myself all round Europe, in a small airplane, staying in nice hotels along the way. I’d stop near the Alps in early spring to go skiing. |
| What’s your worst habit? |
I talk too much and don’t listen enough. |
| Name 3 things that are always in your shopping trolley? |
I don’t do shopping. |
| What was the last book you read? |
“Mobile Radio Network Design in the VHF and UHF Bands” |
| What’s your favorite boat to sail? |
It’s not really a boat but close; flying any one of the selection of small aeroplanes owned by a group of my mates is the one thing that really clears my mind of Olympic business. |