J/70 sailors at RYA Awards (London, England) – Ian Walker was named the “boats.com YJA Yachtsman of the Year” by the Yachting Journalists’ Association. Ian is from Warsash in Hampshire and is the first British skipper to win the Volvo Ocean Race in the event’s 37 year history, when he led Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing to victory in the 2014-15 event. Ian and his team also won the in-port race series and set a 24-hour distance record of an incredible 550.82 nautical miles. As it turns out, Ian was learning about sailing and racing on the Solent, he spent lots of time sailing various J/24s and J/80s refining his knowledge of sail trim, boatspeed, tactics and strategies. All of that experience came to bear upon sailing the one-design Volvo 65s in the last race!
The event was sponsored by boats.com and President Ian Atkins , along with Paul Gelder, Chairman of the YJA, presented the awards. Ian is a lifelong J sailor, having raced J/24s, J/80s and most recently, the J/70 boats.com- sailing well enough to finish 4th in the 2015 J/70 Worlds in La Rochelle, France.
In addition to the two Ian’s, Eddie Warden-Owen, the CEO of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, also shares the distinction of having sailed J’s for years- as J/24 European Champion as well as Cowes Week Champion on the J/35 JAILBIRD, amongst others!
Listen to radio interviews with the winning sailors…
https://www.youtube.com/embed/wyTPrI6SyyM?rel=0
This article was compiled from: http://www.jboats.com/news/sailing-news-articles
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