Annalise Murphy talks Olympics
We spoke to the Irish sailing hopeful a few months back...
Craig Fitzpatrick, 01 Aug 2012
How did your family react to news of your qualification?
“Both my mum and dad are really supportive but they never ask, ‘What were you doing in this race?’ We talk about other stuff, which is quite nice! I guess because my mum did it all herself, she knows the pressure that’s involved. They know when to back off or start talking about something completely different. They’ll ring me and say, ‘Yeah, so… the economy…’”
Given their romantic history, do they expect any boy you bring home to have his own boat?
“I don’t think they’d care (laughs)! Although my mum is always saying, ‘You’ll have to marry a sailor!’ – she thinks no-one else would understand
the obsession.”
Does the obsession have a downside?
“Well, having deferred college, I miss the whole social aspect of going out and seeing my friends. I do spend quite a lot of time by myself and it can be quite lonely. But luckily I’ve made great friends from all different countries on the sailing circuit and they’re friends that I’ll have for life. And at 21 I’ve managed to go to so many countries – Australia, Japan, New Zealand, America – all these really cool places. So there’s definite perks.”
So how do you assess your chances in London?
“On my good days, nobody can beat me. It’s a case of making all those good days fall together on that one week in August. I know I can win races in World Championships. I won six at Weymouth, the Olympic venue last year, which is a big boost. It’s
all going to depend on the weather as well, the kind of wind.”
What conditions suit you best?
“I really like it when it’s windy. That’s where I’m better than everyone else. I’ve been working a lot on my light and medium weather sailing to try and be as good in those conditions. Generally during a Regatta, you’ll have a mix. I feel I’ve really improved on dealing with that. When August comes around, whatever happens, I’ll sail my best and hope that’s good enough. Still, it’d be great if everyone could wish for it to rain and gale all summer!”
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