Interview with Vickie Fox and Scott Sealey of Haven Knox-Johnston
by Mark Jardine 23 Sep 2015 11:04 BST
18 September 2015
Vickie Fox and Scott Sealey at the Southampton Boat Show © Mark Jardine
We spoke to Vickie Fox and Scott Sealey who work for the Marine Trade department at Haven Knox-Johnston, on their stand at the Southampton Boat Show. They both race in the Sonata fleet at Medway Yacht Club; Vickie aboard 'Ram', and Scott on 'Silver Lining'.
Mark Jardine: Vickie, you're working at Haven Knox-Johnston, yet only got back into sailing recently? How did you get back on the water?
Vickie Fox: I went to Medway YC for their RYA 'Push the Boat Out' day, and they got me out on a Hunter Sonata, a 7m racing yacht. It was a bit hairy; it was blowing about 22 knots that day. A bit of fun! I got the bug back. They're always looking for crew, so I put my name down, somebody gave me a call, and that was that.
Mark Jardine: You sailed as a kid in Dublin Bay, so how did you find getting back on the water after a long time?
Vickie Fox: I was nervous if I'm honest. One of the things for me was to get my nerve back. I've been really lucky; the guys I sail with are very patient, very easy going, and we have a lot of fun. There's lots of banter on the boat, but it's a 'no blame' boat. A bit of shouting every now and then, but that's OK.
Mark Jardine: Scott, you also decided to get into sailing, but for you it was the first time on the water. What, first of all, gave you the idea to get sailing?
Scott Sealey: It was going back to 2014, working for Haven, I got the opportunity to watch the start of the Round the Island Race, on a RIB. Looking around me I thought, "I can't just watch this, I need to get involved somehow." That's where it started. From there I started looking for ways to get into sailing.
Mark Jardine: So how did you get your first sail?
Scott Sealey: Vickie had been speaking to me about the fact that she'd gone down to Medway YC, and I was looking for a club. She said to just come down and have a look around. The night before I got a text saying that people may be looking for crew, so bring some gear. I turned up and got chatting to some guys on the pontoon, and they found out I was looking to crew. Next thing I know, I'm out racing.
Mark Jardine: How did you find that first race?
Scott Sealey: [Laughs] I didn't really know what to expect. There was a lot of shouting, and a lot of confusion on my part. I didn't know what I was doing and felt completely useless, but the guys were great; they showed me what to do. Ever since they've been teaching me everything they know.
Mark Jardine: So you're sailing with the same crew at Medway ever since?
Scott Sealey: Yes, I crew for them every week, and we're starting to do all right!
Mark Jardine: I understand you're racing in the same class, against each other. So who's got the upper hand so far?
Vickie Fox: At the moment it's fair to say that Scott's on a boat that's doing better than the one I'm on. We'll see how the season ends!
Mark Jardine: So you're in the lead, Scott (out of the two boats). What do you put that down to?
Scott Sealey: The rest of the crew! [Laughs]
Vickie Fox: You have a very scary skipper.
Scott Sealey: Yes... but he's a lovely guy. As soon as you get to know him he's great. First off he seems scary, so you listen to everything he says. They know what they're doing. We've got a guy with us who used to sail professionally, so he really does give us the upper hand. He knows exactly what he's doing. Success is nothing to do with me!
Mark Jardine: Are you looking to do the National Championships, or move on from the standard club racing at Medway?
Scott Sealey: I love the club racing, but I'd love to do the Nationals one day and the Round the Island Race... I'd also love to do the Fastnet. This is just the start for me.
Vickie Fox: The boat I sail on, Ram, did the National Championships at Helensburgh this year. We're going to Poole next year. She probably does tour about more than most of the boats at Medway. It's one of the biggest Sonata fleets at Medway, apparently, worldwide.
Mark Jardine: Now you've got into sailing - or back into it - and you're working for a company in the sailing industry, do you find that gives you more of a connection with your job, or when you're talking with clients?
Vickie Fox: I do, yes. My sailing situation is the reverse of Scott's; I knew boats and that's how I fell into marine insurance, whereas he did it the other way around. It means you know more what you're talking about with clients, and can have a better appreciation of the risk.
Scott Sealey: I think it really helps, especially when you come to boat shows. You get talking with a lot of people and they say, "So do you sail?" and up until now I've always had to say, "no." Whereas now it really opens up the conversation, and people appreciate they are insuring their boat with someone who knows the subject. It does give us a better connection with our clients.
Mark Jardine: As a sport, what is the part you most enjoy?
Scott Sealey: I've never really been 'into' sports. I've tried football, but couldn't get into it. I've found something now that I absolutely love. I'm starting to work my way around the boat, I know what I'm doing... but feeling part of a team and being able to contribute to it, is important. I absolutely love it.
Mark Jardine: Thank you both for your time.
Find out more about Haven Knox-Johnston here.