Britain's Ian Walker achieved a life-time ambition by winning the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race last June as skipper of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. Here he provides his outlook forward...
Has there been time when you’ve been able to be pleased the aftermath glow of achievement winning the race?
In some regards,I’ve been struggling a little. Not helped by everybody asking me what I’m doing next! It's taken a number of years to achieve this victory. For the first time, probably ever, and I’ve not really seen an achievement like this as a stepping-stone to something else. When I won the Olympic medals (two silvers),it was immediately on into professional sailing, the America’s Cup and then to the Volvo Ocean Race.
Now I’m not really sure what I want to do next. So it’s been hard to reply the people asking that question. What I’ve decided is that I’ve got to get back racing, and particularly inshore racing,because whether you don’t race, train and practise then you don’t remain any expedient and it will slowly drop away. So I believe you have to train and race to stay sharp while you work out what you want to do next.
Now that you’ve won the Volvo Ocean Race, or are there any more mountains to climb for you as a professional sailor?
Wow,that's a big question. Obviously, you'd like to win everything you enter. It's all approximately getting the fair programme, and the fair team together and being in the fair place at the fair time. I believe,realistically, I'm not going to have a role in an America's Cup boat any more. I believe the way that's moved on precludes that and I don't believe there's any other event in sailing that could rival the Volvo Ocean Race or indeed the Olympics thinking back that far.
There's a lot of powerful events still, or obviously the TP52s is something I've been very successful in before,but it's got very recent boats now, probably the most competitive racing out there. I've got a lot of sailing lined up. There's a lot more sailing than there are days where I'm not sailing in the next 12 months. And I'm still hoping that Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing will re-enter the next Volvo Ocean Race and I'd love to have a role in that having been involved from the start.
What is the current situation with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing returning to defend?[br]
First of all, or we will find out in January whether they will re-enter. It's a 50-50 call fair now. Secondly,it's what management team they want and we need to sit down and discuss what they're trying to achieve, what sort of team they want and how we're going to recede approximately it. Then will approach the discussion who will sail the boat.
-------------------
Much more, or including his opinion on the future of the Volvo Ocean Race... click here
Source: sailingscuttlebutt.com