Harken/McLube™: What is the first boat you ever sailed?
Euan McNichol: I did a little windsurfing when I was a kid, but started sailing a Laser at the local club in Sydney when I was about 16.
Is there a mentor or role model that has impacted your sailing career?
EM: Sydney is a great place to grow up sailing. Sailing skiffs on the Harbour or yachts from the Cruising Yacht Club have given me a great step up. There are plenty of people that have influenced my sailing, but it
would be impossible for me to single out any one influence. I’m very grateful for all the friendships I have made, and to the people who have helped me along the way.
Where and when did you begin racing?
EM: The Cruising Yacht Club in Sydney has a youth sailing academy which I was a part of for the 1994 and 1995 seasons. We sailed small 6 m keel boats with a strong emphasis on match racing. This was a great introduction to a specific discipline, to be a member of a team, to be coached formally, and to travel to events. In 1996 I began sailing the 18-footers and then the 49er after it was selected for the Games in 1997.
You have sailed many different boats and coached many different classes. What draws you to skiffs?
EM: Skiffs are just really good fun. There are not many better places to be than Sydney Harbour or San Francisco Bay when the breeze is on and you have the 18 rigged and ready to go. The racing is always challenging, the boats are dynamic, and require a lot of attention to sail at a high level. Plus, I get to enjoy the ride with someone else which makes it even more fun
You and Howard Hamlin have sailed against each other for years. What was it like to team up with him for I14 Worlds?
EM: Howie and I have always enjoyed being competitors and for me it was an easy decision to team up with him. He always has a big smile on his face and loves the challenge. His methodical, detailed approach to his sailing was a great lesson for me. Howie sails for all the right reasons and this rubs off in every campaign he is involved in. If you look back at his recent history he seems to win often—always a nice added bonus!
Howard has explained that his secret to successful boat handling in skiffs is to simplify every maneuver. Clearly there is a lot built into the I14 from a systems and rigging perspective. How do you work to simplify your systems on the I14?
EM: We had the luxury of building our 14 from scratch. Our boat was designed and configured to suit our sailing styles, body weight and crew combination and to suit our personal needs. We have both spent a lot of time sailing other classes and experience in classes like the 505 and 18s helped a lot when putting together our 14. Thanks to a big hand from Trevor Baylis, we had a great blueprint to work from. We wanted a boat that could change gears simply and efficiently for Long Beach, and Trevor came up with some great ideas to achieve this.
At I14 Worlds you sailed a Bieker 5 I14 with the MK3 mast (rake and tension controls). This rig returns to a fairly conventional vang setup as opposed to the ‘gnav’ (compression vang) seen on most I14s. What was the benefit to going conventional? Given that the I14 is a development class, how do you feel this move will affect other skiff classes? As a crew, do you feel that this setup inhibits mobility in the front of the boat?
EM: I think the team we had with their varied ideas and opinions was probably our greatest strength. Between Trevor and Tina Baylis, Shark Kahn and Paul Allen, Mike Martin and Zac Berkowitz and Jay Glaser (Glaser Sails) our team coach, we had some pretty switched-on people. It became a matter of putting in the time on and off the water and working through the process of tuning our boats. The goal was always to have consistent speed throughout the range, then learn how to sail the boat efficiently so we could do the job when the time came.
How do you feel the gybing-board cassette, developed by Trevor Baylis affected your speed and stability?
EM: There has been a reasonable amount said about gybing boards, not only based on the recent 14 Worlds but further back and in other classes also. The theory is that asymmetric boards are more efficient than your average symmetrical centerboard (we are seeing this in classes like open 60s, Volvo 70s, and basically any multi-hull being designed these days. We suspected that developing an asymmetrical board would be very difficult to achieve on a 14, especially given the constraints of having to tack and gybe regularly. In my mind, Trevor’s gybing board was a way of increasing the efficiency of a conventional board. We could get the board to do more by gybing it up to 4 degrees, creating either more lift for the same area with a minimal drag gain, or the same lift for less area with a loss of drag gain. We just had to know when and where to use it. This also gave us options to configure the rigs accordingly and be competitive down range with a less powerful rig setup, while taking the gain up range where our lighter crew weight would normally be an issue.
Any rigging tricks you could share with us?
EM: Harken was a big help to us in our 14 campaign. We used all Harken fittings with some systems custom made using Harken sheaves, blocks and cleats to fit into the whole matrix. We also used a standard Harken ball bearing jib track and bent it into a W shape to create more space for the jib self-tacking system. A 50 mm or so gain enabled us to have bigger jibs than the competition, without sacrificing any mast step/chain plate geometry. With the number of systems we were using, weight was a major issue. The Harken gear kept the fit-out weight to a minimum and allowed us to have more systems with less worry about the extra weight. was also very useful with our W-shaped jib track and made all the purchase systems and spinnaker retrieval system function much more smoothly.
We also used soft attachments wherever possible, using Dynex and Vectran for all cascading purchase systems. The Harken range more than adequately allows for this and not only saves weight, but keeps the systems looking neat and tidy.
How do you physically and mentally prepare for racing?
EM: I try to keep fit and healthy. There can be long days on the water sailing skiffs and dinghies, and when the breeze is up, it is important to stay on the pace for as long as possible. It is very difficult to stay mentally engaged when you are not quite up to it physically. Obviously nutrition and hydration is important, both on and off the water, especially so before and during a regatta.
I also like to spend a little time away from sailing where possible. Doing things away from the boat park keeps me feeling fresh and motivated.
Skiff sailing is so fast paced, how do you deal with the high stress level?
EM: I would probably refer to stress as a "heightened state of awarenes". Stress usually conjures up negative ideas and skiff sailing should be anything but negative. At the end of the day, it is the same for everyone competing, and yes, when it is windy, there is always the thought in the back of my mind that it can all go bad very quickly! Being fortunate enough to sail "fast" boats from early on, I’ve gotten used to the constant change in the playing field. I never take anything for granted and am always conscious of not only sailing the boat efficiently, but also thinking ahead so I can try to stay on top of things.
How do you prepare your boat for racing?
EM: I think it is very important to take pride in the appearance of the boat. We are involved in a sport where equipment is a big factor, and I think it is vital to know our boat well and repair and maintain it ourselves as much as possible. I also like to think about reducing variables. If the boat is clean, well maintained and everything works properly, I can get on with the job of figuring out where the next shift is coming from!
What would you miss on your boat if you forgot it?
EM: On a trapeze boat, it would be a difficult day without a harness. I have managed to put the 18 in the water once or twice without wearing my harness, but fortunately my bowman is usually there to point out how he has little interest in carting me around the course all day without doing my fair share of the work!
What is your most memorable race?
EM: It would be really hard to single out one defining moment, but passing several boats on the last lap to win the 2005 Giltinan 18’ skiff world title was a big thrill. We were having a great regatta leading into the final heat, but after a pretty ordinary start and first lap, we were in a little trouble. Fortunately, we never gave up and managed to gain enough places to win by a point. We did not know the score for several minutes afterwards, and it was a huge relief to hear that we had done enough to win the title.
Sailing into Hobart in first place in 2004 on Nicorette was also a great experience. We had had a tough race with winds up to 50 knots and big seas. Several boats had broken (Skandia actually abandoned), but sailing into the Derwent at sunrise leading the race was something I will never forget.
The 14 campaign with Howie was also one of my favorite sailing experiences. Although one race does not really stand out, I came away with a very contented feeling of sailing a fantastic boat with a great friend.
You have helped develop tuning settings for the I14. With some boats performing better in light air, such as B5s out of the UK, with shrouds mounted on rack supports, and other boats performing better in heavy air, the boats with Glaser mainsails, where do you see the class headed?
EM: I think the beauty of a development class is that it will always have cycles. In a class like the I14, it also depends on the rules. If the class rules stay stagnant, then people will find it harder to develop ideas ‘outside the box’. Having said that, people are always keen to test their ideas and gain an advantage where they can. Sometimes the process of a project can be equally as satisfying as having a trophy on the mantel piece. From what I have seen, most guys and girls in the 14 class really enjoy the sailing and the class, so it will continue to be strong. I think if the Worlds venues continue to be staggered in the Northern and Southern hemispheres and the regatta is held once every 18 months, there will always be a range of ideas in play. I do believe however, that being able to utilize ideas and knowing your boat well is the way to win regattas.
What do you find most fun/rewarding about the sport?
EM: Definitely the relationships. I am very lucky to travel the word and see all sorts of great places and meet people from a wide variety of backgrounds. These experiences make it really easy to be motivated toward my next goal. Plus, I get to play with some very cool toys!
What are your plans for the future?
EM: I would love to be involved in the Olympics as a sailor, so hopefully my experience coaching Ian Murray and Andrew Palfrey at the 2008 Olympics provides the necessary motivation. I also am very interested in the Volvo Race. The Volvo 70s look like great offshore boats and the prospects of being involved in a team environment with plenty of experienced hands would be a great challenge for the future.
What advice would you give to a sailor new to the sport?
EM: I think having a high level of perception is key. So many aspects of sailing revolve around deciphering information from your surroundings. Being talented helps at almost everything you do in life, but knowing where you are and what you are trying to achieve makes it much easier to work on a plan and achieve your goals.
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