Magnus talks about his latest adventure

Q: What draws you back to the Volvo for a sixth time at the age of 59?
A: I love this race. I think it’s the most wonderful yacht race there is. I did my first race with Drum (1985-86). I really liked it and I wanted more. With Drum, half of the team were really good yachtsmen and the other half were adventurers. But they were tough guys and they wanted to go out into the oceans of the world and flex their muscles. It was a great mix and a lot of fun. For me personally, I look at my selection for the Nordic crew this time round as another chance and I’m going to grab it with both hands. If you love sailing like I do, you cannot complain because you’re sailing 24 hours a day for weeks on end. Motivation is not a problem for me. I hate losing.

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Q: How has the race changed from those early Whitbread days?
A: It’s a different race mentally and it has become much more professional. The boats are a lot faster, the sailing is a lot wilder and it has moved on considerably in the areas of technology. We have set up a big database so you know instantly how well you are sailing the boat. Now we have so many technological tools at our disposal we can push the boat so much harder. But when you are pushing so hard it’s easy to burn out people. You start out hard and after three or four days everybody’s tired and grumpy so you have to monitor that and choose your moments to push. The pace of these Volvo Open 70s is so high that it’s not a marathon race anymore, it’s a sequence of 100-metre dashes.

Q: How are the Nordic crew members progressing?
A: They are getting better and better. Obviously, we lack quite a bit of ocean racing experience. We have a lot of good sailors but none of them have done a Volvo before. My job is to make them realize that there is more to the job than just the sailing part of it. Coaching them these days means helping them to understand what’s going to happen during the stopovers for instance. It’s one thing to sail the boats but there is a lot more to the event as a whole. To do a Volvo race you also have to be an ambassador for the sport for high-level ocean racing and for your sponsors. That’s part of the job these days. As for ocean race conditioning, we are planning a few long ocean trips before the start. Its one thing to speak about it but it is much better to experience it.

Q: Based on your previous race experiences, what have you been telling them about life on board?
A: I am trying to get them used to the idea that some days can be really gruesome. You do a lot of manoeuvres, you are being woken up all the time, you’re tacking, you’re gybing, all the gear has to be moved from one side to the other and you’re completely worn out after 24 hours. You’re about to melt down and you’ve only got an ounce of energy left and you have to take care of that last drop of energy. Then you get a position report which says you have gained two miles and even though you are dead tired you get a lift. At the other extreme, you have fairly steady conditions, you get your sleep and you don’t have to go up on deck in the middle of your watch. But those days can be tough mentally. It varies so much. Even on a comparatively ‘lazy’ day you are still pushing the boat 100 per cent. This race has everything.

Q: What is your view of the new route and innovations such as in-port racing?
A: The in-port racing is a success. It gives people a chance to watch the boats racing hard at close quarters. The route has changed quite radically but it still means we have a lot left to do in the southern ocean. That’s still a big part of it. Overall I believe the new course is a great challenge. The leg form Singapore up to Qingdao for instance is going to be an enormously tough challenge. Tougher than even some of the legs in the southern ocean in the old days.

Q: Magnus, you are known as a bit of joker and a storyteller. But you also have a serious side. How do you combine the two facets of your personality?
A: Yes, it’s true, I do like a laugh. I guess its something of a talent to be the guy with the jokes but also someone who is as determined as the next guy. The trick is to know when to crack a joke and also to recognise when it’s appropriate to battle on in a silent way at those moments when there is no need to make people laugh. In my experience if you don’t have a boat where you can laugh now and again you will never become a winner. A sense of humour can loosen all the tight knots in the team when the going gets tough.

Q: Who are some of the characters who have left a lasting impression on you?
A: I have had privilege to sail with some very strong leaders. Lawrie Smith, Paul Cayard and Neal MacDonald were all fantastic to sail with. You learn a lot from those guys. Now I get the chance to be in the same team as Torben (Grael). That’s very rewarding. There are so many good guys in this sport who are truly dedicated. On the Nordic boat we have great chemistry on board under Anders Lewander. We might surprise a few people.