Interview with Ian Williams, boats.com YJA Yachtsman of Year finalist

by Mark Jardine Yachtsandyachting.com on 29 Jan 2016 We caught up with GAC Pindar skipper Ian Williams, five-time World Match Racing Champion and boats.com YJA Yachtsman of the Year finalist, ahead of the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia.

Mark Jardine: We've just finished the boats.com YJA Yachtsman of the Year awards ceremony, and Ian Walker has won. Can you give me your thoughts on his win, and what Ian has done for the sport?

Ian Williams: Well, it is very well deserved, first British skipper to win the Volvo Ocean Race. You can't really give it to anyone else, although Giles Scott had a fantastic year as well. It is always disappointing not to win, but I came here not expecting to. It is honestly a huge honour to be nominated. Tracy Clarke went through the list of people who didn't make the nominations this year, which included the likes of Sam Davies, Leigh McMillan and Sarah Ayton. So it was amazing to be nominated.

Mark Jardine: This year the World Match Racing Tour has been a strange one, with the Monsoon Cup being delayed until February, and the last event (excepting the Congressional Cup) being held in monohulls. You've got a huge rivalry going with Taylor Canfield, so how are you going to approach the Monsoon Cup?

Ian Williams: I think there are three teams, really, that can win. Bjorn Hansen, Taylor Canfield and us. In the last few years it's always been one of two teams, and it's been about 'them or us'. With three teams I think it changes the dynamic a little bit. I think we'll all be a little more cagey and, I guess, focusing more on our own regattas, seeing where we end up. Once you get to quarter/semi finals time you start watching how the other guys are getting on. We'll see how it goes. We're just going to focus on our own game. Training really starts in earnest on Saturday, doing a bit of J80 stuff. Then we'll go out to Malaysia and do a few days to get used to the new boats.

Mark Jardine: It's a brave new world for the WMRT, changing to M32 catamarans, and going along the same lines as the America's Cup except non-foiling. How do you see the WMRT taking shape for 2016?

Ian Williams: It's going to be a new challenge for GAC Pindar. The M32s will obviously be a very different type of equipment, but significantly each regatta will have the same type of boat. Historically, we've always changed classes from regatta to regatta. Now it's going to be very much down to specific M32 skills. GAC Pindar have bought an M32 which we're going to be training hard on. Really, at this point it's very hard to say what the racing is going to be like - I haven't yet match-raced one! I think we'll be trying to get round the course as fast as possible to start with. As the season develops we'll start learning more about the tactics, what it takes to win, and what is going to be important.

Mark Jardine: So what training have you done so far in the M32s to get used to them as a platform for match racing?

Ian Williams: I did a very rushed two regattas in the Scandinavian series last September - Helsinki and Stockholm - where we picked up the boat and 48 hours later we were on the start line. That was really with a view to just learning about the boats and what I thought was going to be important, what sort of team I needed. Then I've probably done ten days out of the Royal Lymington Yacht Club, in the Solent. Just on our own, trying to get a feel for the boat. I think tacking is going to be a big thing. Without the jibs I think there are big gains and losses to be made there, so we spent a lot of time looking at different techniques for that. At the moment the boat is on its way to Bermuda, so once we've got the Monsoon Cup out of the way we'll be heading over there to really get into the training proper.

Mark Jardine: Congratulations on your nomination for this award. Let's hope you're up for a nomination in future years, and can win it.

Ian Williams: With a bit of luck! Thanks Mark.