Ian Walker (sailor)
Encyclopedia
Ian Walker is one of Britain
’s most successful sailors, with two Olympic silver medals to his name. Walker also coached Shirley Robertson
and her Yngling
Team to gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He is a member of Itchenor Sailing Club
.
At the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta, Walker received the silver medal in the 470 class
along with his sailing partner, John Merricks
. On 15 October 1997, both Walker and Merricks were passengers in a minivan in Italy when the driver lost control, and Merricks was killed.
In 1999, Walker began sailing with Mark Covell
. At the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney
, Walker and Covell won the silver medal in the Star class
.
When Britain launched its first bid for the America’s Cup for 14 years in 2000, Walker was named as the skipper. Then, in the 2007 America’s Cup he joined fellow Olympic medallist Iain Percy
as the tactician of the Italian team +39 Challenge
. His America’s Cup commitments were combined with the highly successful TP52
campaign as skipper of 'Patches', owned by Eamon Conneely. In 2008/09 he was the skipper of the Green Dragon boat in the Volvo Ocean Race., the boat finished fifth in this race out of eight competitors.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
’s most successful sailors, with two Olympic silver medals to his name. Walker also coached Shirley Robertson
Shirley Robertson
Shirley Ann Robertson, OBE is a Scottish sailor and Olympic gold medallist. She made it in the history books by becoming the first British woman to win two Olympic gold medals at consecutive games, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004....
and her Yngling
Yngling (keelboat)
thumbA Yngling is a sailing boat which the International Yngling Association call an "agreeable cross between a planing dinghy and a keelboat." It can be regarded as a smaller version of the Soling although there are differences in sailing characteristics, proportion, and tuning requirements,...
Team to gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He is a member of Itchenor Sailing Club
Itchenor Sailing Club
Itchenor Sailing Club is a sailing club located in Chichester Harbour which was founded in 1927.-Racing:The Sailing Club races every Saturday and Sunday from April to November with midweek racing for keel boats, as well as specific weeks for Class Regattas....
.
At the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta, Walker received the silver medal in the 470 class
470 (dinghy)
The 470 is a double-handed monohull planing dinghy with a centreboard, Bermuda rig, and centre sheeting. The name is the overall length of the boat in centimetres . The hull is fibreglass with integral buoyancy tanks. The 470 is equipped with spinnaker and trapeze, making teamwork necessary to...
along with his sailing partner, John Merricks
John Merricks
John Merricks was an English sailor. He represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where he received the silver medal in the 470 class along with his sailing partner, Ian Walker....
. On 15 October 1997, both Walker and Merricks were passengers in a minivan in Italy when the driver lost control, and Merricks was killed.
In 1999, Walker began sailing with Mark Covell
Mark Covell
Mark Covell is a Scottish competitive sailor and Olympic medalist. He won a silver medal in the Star class at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, along with Ian Walker.-References:...
. At the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Walker and Covell won the silver medal in the Star class
Star (sailboat)
The International Star is a 6.9 m one-design racing keelboat for two people.The boat must weigh at least 671 kg with a maximum total sail area of 26.5 m . It is sloop-rigged, with a mainsail larger in proportional size than any other boat of its length...
.
When Britain launched its first bid for the America’s Cup for 14 years in 2000, Walker was named as the skipper. Then, in the 2007 America’s Cup he joined fellow Olympic medallist Iain Percy
Iain Percy
Iain Bryden Percy OBE is a British sailor and double Olympic champion.-Sailing competitions:Percy competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he won a gold medal in the Finn class...
as the tactician of the Italian team +39 Challenge
+39 Challenge
+39 Challenge is a yacht racing team established in 2004 that competed for the Louis Vuitton Cup 2007, the challenger series held prior to the America's Cup. The teams is based at the Yacht club "Circolo Vela Gargnano" in Gargnano, Italy, and is owned by Lorenzo Rizzardi, the president of the club...
. His America’s Cup commitments were combined with the highly successful TP52
Transpacific Yacht Race
The Transpacific Yacht Race is an offshore yacht race starting off Point Fermin, San Pedro, near Los Angeles, and ending off Diamond Head Lighthouse in Honolulu, a distance of around . Started in 1906, it is one of yachting's premier offshore races and attracts entrants from all over the world...
campaign as skipper of 'Patches', owned by Eamon Conneely. In 2008/09 he was the skipper of the Green Dragon boat in the Volvo Ocean Race., the boat finished fifth in this race out of eight competitors.
External links
- Green Dragon Racing Team - Official Green Dragon Racing Team site.
- http://www.sailjuice.com/articles/sailing-talk-podcast-6 - Interview with Ian Walker, Green Dragon skipper, May 2009