14 Questions to … Jan Persson

Jan Persson, Snipe champion and Snipe buiilder

– 1) Your first time on a sailing boat?

My first  sailing expierience was crewing on a Snipe, when I was 13 years old.

– 2) Your first time on a Snipe?

When I was 16 years , my friend and I build our own Snipe. Sailnumber 10296 “ Savoi”. We bought a plywood hull and finished it ourselves.

– 3) The most bizarre thing that happened in a regatta?

In the sixties we had some fantastic regattas in Barcelona and Valencia. I won it overall one year and the next year we also participated in the South European Champinonship in La Cassou, France. It was a week before Barcelona – Valencia.

Our boat was measured and the weight in France was ok so we went to Valencia.

We were lucky to win this big regatta again and to my big surprise my boat was 100gr. too light ( out of  183,4 kg ) and I was disqualified . The scale had a deviation written plus/minus 3 kg. – It took me some time to return to Spain after that.

– 4) What is the thing that most angers you in a race/regatta?

Unfair sailing or team racing.

– 5) Which is the race/regatta that you remember with the most pleasure?

That was when I won the Danish Championship (60 boats ) with my son Jonatan (14 years ) for the first time.

– 6) And the race/regatta you would like to forget?

There are quite a few. One of them was during the Worlds in Malaga , where I for the first time used one of my own Snipes. We were doing  very well. It was blowing and we were second 100 m. before the finish, when the hiking straps came out and we capsized and lost the chance for the podium. But I learned something about how to mount hikingstraps!

– 7) Your “dream in the peak”? (Your sailing dream?)

I have realized most of my sailing dreams. One of the peaks must have been the first time we sailed in the Bahamas. Coming from Denmark , it is really something else.

– 8) Sailing goals for 2013, and beyond?

I hope to have my knee repaired, so I can exercise and maybe come down in weight and sail the Snipe again for many years to come. Maybe with my grandson Felix, who is 3 years now.

– 9) The most important people for you in sailing and in the Snipe?

As I am an old man , there have been many important people in my sailing life. When I was teenager here in Espergærde , we had a man called Peer Bruun. He was an architect, but also a boat designer in Spee. He and a few others had introduced the Snipe to our Club, and started a small boatbuilding shop, where we for a little money could get started with Snipe sailing and later on bigger boats too.  Unfortunately he passed away 2 weeks ago.

Later on I was lucky to work for and sail with Paul Elvstrøm. I sailed Soling and bigger boats with him, and I learned a lot about racing, preperation, training, sportsmanship and never giving up. It has been very important for my life as a sailor both on the water and on shore.

– 10) Why the Snipe?

The snipe was a big class in our Club , when I grew  up, so it was naturely and I always came back to the snipe even if I sailed Olympic Clases and Big Boats.

– 11) Your perfect sailing venue and your perfect sailing conditions?

I love Santiago de la Ribera, Mar Menor, Spain. For 20 years it was my second home, and I had aways a good time there, with good sailors and a fantastic Sailing Club with splendid people.

– 12) Besides sailing which other sport do you practice?

Since I was 12 years old I have played Badminton and Handball in the winterseason. I still play badminton and I played handball untill I was 45 years old, many years in the best liga.

– 13) Are you superstitious?

No , I can not say I am, but I always like to have some special solutions on my boat, beliving that it will help me go faster. Right now I am prepairing a complete new boom and later on a new mast for Snipe. Hope to have it ready for the next season.

– 14) Your perfect holiday?

Untill recently I never had a holiday without sailing or you can say , I used all my holidays sailing . Getting older my wife and I are planing holidays without sailing, but we always ends up in Bracciano or Talamone , so maybe one day we have a real holiday away from sailing.