A Q&A with Anna Tunnicliffe about her return to competitive sailing

by David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor on 23 Jan 2017 The saying goes that Olympic medals are color blind. While it’s true that all Olympic medals represent a massive amount of commitment, performance and dedication on the part of the athlete(s), there no question that gold shines brighter than silver or bronze. For fans of American Olympic sailing, who have had just a single bronze medal to celebrate in the past two Olympic Games, even the memory of this shiniest of medals seems a bit dimmed by the passage of so much time, thus making it significant news when the last American to win a sailing gold medal takes up the tiller once again in a class that she once dominated.

For those who have followed sailing for a while, please take a moment to happily welcome Anna Tunnicliffe (34) back to the starting line at this week’s Sailing World Cup Miami (January 22-29), which is one of the first major Olympic class regattas of the 2020 Olympic quadrennial cycle.

For newer fans of sailing, or for anyone who is just tuning in to Olympic sailing, Tunnicliffe won gold at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in the Laser Radial, following a highly competitive Olympic selection trial that saw Tunnicliffe edge-out Paige Railey for the U.S. Laser Radial berth to China.

Following her golden success in 2008, Tunnicliffe won the prestigious Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award (which she would win every year from 2008-2011), and set her sights on the Women’s Match Racing event for the London 2012 Olympics. She built a strong, highly competitive team that included Molly Vandemoer and Debbie Capozzi, and collectively they won gold at the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup, which was held in Perth, Australia in December of 2011. Unfortunately, the team peaked too early and, by the London 2012 Olympics (August), the team slid to a disappointing fifth-place finish.

For some athletes, an upset of this nature would be cause to get a day job, but not so for Tunnicliffe, who soon turned her energy and her formidable athletic prowess into becoming a competitive CrossFit athlete, where she has dedicated her time for the past four-plus years. Additionally, Tunnicliffe has also done some professional sailing, most notably in the Extreme Sailing Series, where she did a stint as tactician for Alinghi.

Now, however, Tunnicliffe has turned her sights back on sailing and the Laser Radial class. I caught up with her before the start of the Sailing World Cup Miami to learn more about her return to sailing, and if she thinks there could be another Olympic campaign in her future.

What’s your motivation and impetus for getting back into sailing?
I have been away from the sailing side of the sport for a few years, and missed it. I wanted to check it out and see if I still have the passion to want to do an Olympic campaign again.

Why did you choose the Laser Radial and not a higher-performance and crewed boat like the Nacra 17 or the 49erFX, aside from your past success in this class?
I chose the Radial due to my time commitment right now. I wouldn't feel right hopping into a boat with a teammate without having put the time in before the regatta. I'm not ruling out those boats down the road, but for now, [Laser Radial sailing offers me] the fairest way.

Are you still competing in CrossFit? If so, do you see this as complimentary to your sailing? Can you explain?
I am still competing yes, and [I] am aiming for the CrossFit Games again this year. I have contract sponsors and still love that sport immensely. It does complement sailing in the sense that I’m fit enough for sailing, but just like all pro sports, they require a heck of a lot of your time.

Is it intimidating to get back into a class that you won an Olympic gold medal in, but have stepped away from for a number of years?
I could let it intimidate me, but its been so long since I’ve sailed the boat, that I'm really just going to be sailing to have fun, and have some goals, but no pressure on myself at all.

What kind of perspective on the sport of sailing did you gain during your years of absence? Also, how do you think this perspective will help you on the racecourse?
I got to see a lot of the sport from the other side, so [I] wasn't totally absent from the sport, just not actually doing it. I enjoyed and learned from being on the other side by trying to explain how to do something [in] terms that translate to the athletes I was coaching. I think you get to learn a lot from coaching [sailing] as well as doing the sport itself.

Do you see this regatta as the official start of your next Olympic quad, or are you using this event to test the waters and gauge your interest in re-committing to the sport of sailing?
I would say for now I’m testing the waters. If it sparks the fire again, then I’m sure I’ll be back at it. For now, I’m here for fun to do what we all love, and to do the best I can.