News - 2013

16:29 Wednesday 7 Aug 2013 Competitors' quotes from Day 5 of Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week

IRC Class Zero, Azzam, VO70

Ian Walker, skipper, speaking just before he left the dock this morning for the New York YC Challenge Cup.

“This is the start of our next Volvo Ocean Race programme. Esimit Europa is favourite for line honours in the big boat class and there are some good mini maxis like Ran and Bella Mente designed and optimised for these conditions…

“We are lucky to have Matthew Pinsent on board with us today. He has sailed with me twice on the America’s Cup boat, but this is the first time on a VO70 so looking forward to getting him on the handles to see if he has any rowing muscles left.”

Matthew Pinsent CBE, gold medal winner in rowing, at four consecutive Olympic Games, sailing aboard Azzam.

“Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week is one of the big British sporting events of summer, so having the opportunity to come and race with these guys is a fantastic privilege and I’m getting paid to come today through my work with BT Sport, which is great.

“I have sailed with Ian Walker before and tried the Fastnet before but it didn’t end well so at the moment my sailing CV isn't particularly good.”

Sunbeam, Fleury, V41

Joe Burnie, helmsman aboard winning boat in today’s race.

“We had a good breeze, which was pretty shifty coming off the Stokes Bay shore, which made it very interesting. We went up the middle, worked the shifts, and the rest didn’t quite get there. From our point of view, middle was the place to be.”

J/70, Team RAF Spitfire

Wing Commander Simon Ling RAF, second in today’s race, and third overall in the J/70 Short Series, which concluded yesterday.

“We had a good day today, completely different to the first few days. Our rockstar helmsman Ian Southworth wasn’t on the boat today, so we might let him know he’s sacked! Instead my brother was driving, the first time he has ever been on the boat, and we had a really good fight with the young boys on Jagador.

“We thought the conditions were going to be marginal with talk of competing breezes but we got out there and had the best of the day’s wind, racing out to the east.”