Tim pictured above in the red jacket, scrutinising the evenings race!
How did you start sailing?
I sailed as a child when I lived in Britain and Australia, but didn’t really keep it up when I returned to Ireland when I was a late teenager. I became an active oarsman both in Ireland and in Britain and further afield and when I finally retired from rowing I was eager to get involved in something competitive and was asked to crew on a one tonner that arrived in the bay (Sapphire) and I have sailed on big boats since, from that boat to Elusive to all ten of the WOW boats and some others over the years. I enjoy the setting up and participation in bigger teams.
What is your earliest memory of being on the water?
As a baby I was pulled out of the swimming pool on the Pendennis Castle on route to South Africa although that was the product of poor crawling rather than eagerness to swim, but I swam and surfed in Australia and given my father was Royal Navy it was always part of my personality, from going across on a ship to ship transfer between HMS Blake and one of the frigates on Navy days without telling my parents until I had finished to sailing small dingies at school holidays. Sailing and sea lore have always been part of my life and I suppose I would like it to always be thus.
What is your greatest achievement to date and why?
I have no Idea !! I have many sailing memories from winning in cork week winning in sovereigns week, Volvo, ICRA boat of the year, J Cup etc! Winning at many different events but also in just competing against as good a group as possible. I would prefer not to win but race the best rather than win a poor event. I would like to think people who race us would respect that of us and I would hope we would always give people as good a race as we can. Hard to see that the mere fact of winning changes the act of competition. The level of competition in Rowing was all encompassing and I believe I learnt from that. Don’t get me wrong I like to win and I will try everything I can to do that but that is not the reason for being out there racing.
What advice would you give to someone coming to sailing later in life?
Try not to undersell yourself, there are many people who will under rate you so don’t be one of them. Don’t take stupid risks but definitely attempt things, don’t assess what you can do before you try it. There are every shape and size of sailors at every level enjoy the bits you can and learn from the bits you can’t.
If you could sail anywhere in the world where would it be?
Again impossible to answer that! I have raced in Dublin Bay I have raced throughout Ireland and Britain and France I have raced in the Mediterranean and have sailed in the Caribbean and Australia, all have their positives and weirdly all have their issues. The event and the competition is the star and all areas have their positives. The solent is renowned to be the home of offshore sailing but I find it quite an annoying place to sail so I can’t be trusted.
If you could only sail in one class for the rest of your life what would it be, and why?
Big boat handicap racing the speed the power and the interaction of people to combine to create the ultimate test of all of the crew. I enjoy the detail I enjoy the camaraderie I enjoy going fast and I enjoy investigating the details in sailing, sails and systems. However sailors can change but I think big boats and crew make me happy.
