JC: Whats the story behind your phenomenal success this season
compared to other years?
AM: First of all I knew I had to have the best equipment to compete with the likes of Albeau and Dunkerbeck. The change to Point-7 really helped. The first moment I stepped on the sail I started to go a lot faster. I was fast round the course and out of the gybes I had amazing acceleration. On the other side, I was a lot more focussed mentally and the second part of last winter I totally changed the way I trained. I went to Tenerife to train with the Point-7 Black Team. We started to do proper racing, starts, the whole thing. Everything’s changed for me. I have concentrated on being on the best equipment and then how to make it work on the racecourse. I went straight to Korea and won the first event, so I knew I was on the right track. I’ve had a hard year with injury this season but still have achieved the best result of my career. It still feels unreal to be second in the world after the injury I had this year, the last three or four months I almost didn’t sail at all.