Image by Guo Chuan/Green Dragon Racing/Volvo Ocean Race.

Back at the end of 2008, I jumped at the opportunity to join UK sailing legend and double Olympic silver medallist, Ian Walker, aboard his Irish/Chinese sponsored Green Dragon Volvo Ocean Race entry, on a leg of the delivery trip following a raucous launch party in Dublin, down to the race start in Alicante. Understandably at that point, Walker was by his own admission, feeling the enormous strain of being a newbie VOR skipper. By the end of the race however and after having faced some of the biggest challenges of his life, he not only emerged with his credibility firmly intact but also with burgeoning reputations as both a ocean race skipper and a leader of men.

This weekend I sat down again with Walker to find out how he now viewed the Green Dragon programme and to ask about his plans for the future.
‘I think on all sorts of levels we can view Green Dragon as a success. From a sailing point of view we managed some satisfying podium finishes and from a commercial aspect we achieve the most important goals of getting the boat into China and Ireland in one piece. Also we are very proud of the media return we managed to generate through Green Dragon. Only Puma Racing achieved more. Given that they had a corporate marketing machine behind them and allowing for the comparatively miniscule size of our setup, I think we put up quite an impressive performance. Much of that exposure was down to the response we got from in China where we featured regularly on prime time TV. In fact our Chinese crew member Guo Chuan is now a sailing celebrity in China.’

With the benefit of hindsight, what did Walker now regard as the highs and lows of the 2008/9 Volvo Ocean Race?
‘As a skipper it’s a relief to have got the boat and everyone safely home. For me, the podium finish in Galway was a real high spot. We knew from the off that we did not have a boat performance edge and we were always having to work harder than the other teams to create strategic opportunities for ourselves. I simply did not want to be the skipper of an Irish boat trailing into Galway in last place and we pulled out all the stops on that leg across the Atlantic. The reception we got in Galway the night we finished will remain with all of us forever.’

For Walker and his Green Dragon crew, things did not always go so well during the thirty-seven-thousand mile circumnavigation.
‘There were lots of low points during the race, like major damage to the boat and running out of food when we dropped of the back of a weather system on one of the legs. Each brings its own challenges for a skipper. Much of the time people on the boat are of a similar mind as to what to do in any given circumstance, but the case of deciding what to about the damage we sustained on the leg to China there were a number of views on how we should proceed. Some believed we could live with the damage and wanted to press on, whilst others really didn’t. In the end I had to make the call and chose to seek shelter whilst we carried out repairs.’
Looking back, did Walker think he had made the right decision I that case?
‘Probably. Although who actually knows? We may well also have been able to carry on and finish the leg too.’

Adding to the understandable pressure of the horrendous and no doubt frightening weather conditions Green Dragon had to endure on that leg, was the extra issue of sorting out the programme’s dwindling funding.
‘We were rapidly running out of money at that point and constantly in the back of my mind was the prospect of not being able to find the cash to continue the race if we actually managed to get the boat to China.’ 
Happily for all concerned, new sponsors were secured and the team went on to complete the race and finish in a highly creditable fifth place overall.

Walker’s answer to the million dollar question ‘would you do it all again?’ is surprisingly quick and unequivocal.
‘Absolutely. The Volvo Ocean Race is one of those standout projects that I believe are well worth getting involved in. That’s why I have spent the last eight months flying around the world trying to put the funding in place for a campaign for the next race.’
With funding so difficult to find in today’s economic climate how close does he feel he is to securing the necessary cash?
‘On a scale of one to ten, I’m about an eight right now, but I will tell you for sure by the end of March because that’s when we would have to have things in place and be ready to start building a boat.’

Walker believes that the next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race could potentially be even more exciting than previous races. ‘I think the boats will be much more evenly matched next time around. Last time the top designers were tied to exclusivity contracts with individual teams. Next time I think we will see virtually identical boats lining up to race around the world.’

How many teams did he think are likely to compete in the next race? 
‘I know of six who are a long way to committing. Ten would be the ideal number but in reality maybe we will get to eight.’

Whilst the Volvo Ocean Race has clearly been his focus for quite some time, Walker has also made a return to short course one-design racing. He recently competed in the Extreme 40 Asian Series and has also made a return to the afterguard of William Douglass’s Farr 40 ‘Goombay Smash’. I wondered what other sailing projects he might have in his planner? America’s Cup perhaps?

‘The Volvo Ocean Race project is the main priority, but I would love to be involved in another Cup campaign. The next AC is most likely going to be in 2013 so the timing may just allow for me to do both given the right opportunity. However as I’m not a part of the British Team Origin project, realistically it would mean looking outside of the UK. In the nearer future there is a possibility of me getting involved in a Commodores’ Cup campaign this year too.’

Certainly Ian Walker is not a man to let the grass grow under his feet and has plenty to keep him busy right now. Beyond the programmes we discussed in our interview, Walker is also busy with the High Aspect event planning and campaign management company he runs with fellow sailor Jamie Boag, where the pair currently have a number of international projects on the books; interestingly, some sailing-related and some not.

Offshore Rules looks forward to bringing your more news about Walker’s progress towards a second Volvo Ocean Race campaign as soon as we get the word from the man himself.

Justin Chisholm
March 2009