Jeremy's Yacht Race Makes People Magazine ! - Read 'Pop Quiz With Jeremy Irons' Here First !
by Scoop, People
March 5, 2001
Jeremy Irons set sail from Wellington, New Zealand, Feb. 18 on the fourth leg of what is billed as the world's toughest yacht race, the BT Global Challenge. Irons, 52, expects to leave the LG Flatron in Sydney on Feb. 25, where he'll party with the crew before they set sail on the rest of the voyage to London. He spoke with Scoop about his nautical prowess.
What have you done to prepare?
Psychologically I've thought about it a bit and physically, no, I'm too busy to do anything about it. I'm not working out every day, which I probably should be. I'm relatively fit, so we will see how I do.
You'll be sailing the Tasman Sea, famous for its 40-ft. waves and winds of up to 35 knots. Ever seen a 40-ft. wave?
I have, actually, and they are frightening, very frightening, but the boat seems to be doing quite well.
Ever been seasick?
I have once in a very nasty sea in the Greek islands. I shall take some pills just in case.
What experiences prepared you for this?
I've sailed since I was about 5, dinghy sailing as a boy. I have just a small thirty-footer now--a wooden ketch--in which I do coastal sailing in Ireland. I've never been to sea for seven days in a boat of this size.
What hardships do you expect to encounter? Freeze-dried food?
I've never eaten freeze-dried food, but I have to say I eat anything. I think of food like filling up a racing car--it's a fuel for me.
Anything else?
This constant wear on the body--that will be interesting to see how I deal with that. And joining a crew of 18 people, where there is no privacy and you are reliant on each other, that is also a challenge.
Will you have a specific responsibility?
I'm there for the work, not for the ride.
Nervous?
A little nervous, a little apprehensive. I think I would be a fool not to be. I'm always a little apprehensive when I go on the sea, because the sea is immensely powerful. I think it will be one of the most challenging things I've done.