Mark Covell - a madforsailing profile

Olympic super Star crew and silver medal hero

Where were you born?
Glasgow.

What’s your date of birth?
7th November 1967.

What age did you start sailing?
About six.

What was your first regatta win?
Fed Week - Hayling Island Sailing Club.

What’s your biggest championship win?
Etchells 22 World Championships '96.

Any other notable regatta wins you’d like to mention?
2000 Sydney Olympic Games Silver Medal.
2000 SPA Olympic Classes Regatta (Star).
1996, 1997 and 1998 5.5 Meter World Championship.
1998 5.5 Meter Gold Cup.
1995 and 1997 5.5 Meter European Championships.
1996 Irish Dragon Nationals.
1996 Etchells 22 World Championship.
1995 Etchells 22 European Championship.
1995 Etchells 22 National Championships.
1994 8 Meter French National Championships.
1994 5.5 Meter Swiss Championships.
1992 Dragon National Champ in Ireland, 1st UK and Sweden.

Where did you grow up?
Hayling Island Sailing Club.

What job do you do?
Professional sailor.

If you weren’t doing the job you are, what would you be doing instead?
Whittling bits of wood and selling it for lots of money .

What other sports do you do outside sailing?
Mountain biking, snow boarding, kite flying and changing nappies.

Any other hobbies or interests?
Cooking, then eating what I've cooked and listening to the Archers.

Favourite method of relaxing?
Floating in the pool listening to the birds.

Favourite bar or pub?
Sussex Brewery - Emsworth (probably the best sausage, beans and mash in the world).

What inspired you to take up sailing?
Had NO option - Dad, Paul Covell, ran Hayling Island Sailing Club. If I didn't learn to sail he would've cut off my balls.

Where was your first sailing club?
Hayling Island Sailing Club - smoked my first and only fag in the dunes and lost my cherry on the beach there.

Which class did you first race in?
Mirror dinghy, because I couldn't fit in an Optimist!

How did you buy your first boat?
I've never owned a boat.

Have you ever used a coach and who were they?
Yes! Chris Mason, Bill Edgerton and Derek Clark all coached us in the Star and helped us greatly in many different ways. I'm afraid that good coaches never get the due credit for their efforts. If you can, I believe that you should work with different coaches to get a diverse range of inputs.