*Ahead of Season 4 kicking off in Chicago next weekend, we catch up with Switzerland’s new wing trimmer Will Ryan. Ryan, who first joined the team for the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix last season, reveals his career highlight to date, biggest sailing icon and why he’d most likely to beat Tom Slingsby’s Australia on the SailGP racecourse. *
Q: What is your first sailing memory?
A: My first memory is sailing with my grandfather. He took me out on his cruising yacht - always fun memories - and I think that’s why I love the sport so much.
Q: What is your career highlight so far?
A: Winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Q: Who is your sailing icon?
A: John Bertrand - he won the America’s Cup on his 4th attempt (After USA had held it for 132 years) to win it 4-3, showing the resilience and strength of the team.
Q: Tell us about your scariest sailing moment?
A: Probably anytime something breaks! (Also particularly scary when you think you are competitive, and it maybe minimizes your chances to win…!)
Q: What is your favorite SailGP race location and why?
A: Sydney has a link to my past sailing, but Chicago is an event I’m really looking forward to with the great racetrack and amphitheater. It will be my first event racing as wing trimmer with Swiss SailGP Team too.
Q: What is your top ambition for Season 4?
A: To settle into my new role with the Swiss Team, and hopefully improve together to be a team that is hard to overtake around the racecourse.
Q: Best SailGP moment so far?
A: Way back in 2018, helping to launch the new boats in Whangarei, New Zealand. That was very cool.
Q: What team would you most like to beat and why?
A: Aussies for one race - They have set the standards so high over the past three seasons, they sail incredibly during every race - so to beat them once would show we had raced well too!
Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t a professional sailor?
A: Likely working in an office and then doing triathlons and wing-foiling on my holidays.
Q: What is your favorite thing about SailGP?
A: So many great great sailors all in the same place racing in a unique format.
