Finnish defender

After winning the Sydney-Hobart on line honours last year, Ludde Ingvall is back to defend this title reports James Boyd

Above: Nicorette in the Rolex Fastnet Race in August

Of the Volvo Ingvall says it is fantastic, but is saddened that only eight boats are taking part. He was the first Finn to win a leg of the Whitbread (on board Atlantic Privateer in 1985/6) and then mounted his own campaign with the giant Union Bank of Finland in 1989/90, a race in which there were three Finnish boats. "The Volvo or Whitbread was a race with 27 boats from 15 different nationalities. The atmosphere was different between the crews in the harbours, but this is the evolution," he admits.

Ingvall feels that much of the old atmosphere has gone because of this. On the Finnish boats, he remembers, there used to be a lot of national pride. "It doesn't mean it was wrong. It's just different now."

One of the reasons Ingvall left the Whitbread arena was over the change to 60 footers. Now it is time for a change of boat again in the race, he wonders whether they shouldn't be returning to 80 or 90 footers and has invited the volvo Ocean Race's organisers to come for a sail on Nicorette. But he feels it is important that the boats have some life after the round the world race and not be virtually scrapped afterwards as is currently the case. "You want a boat which does not only do the Volvo race. My dream was always, to do the Whitbread and then one or two years in a circuit."

He also feels there is a case for a one design ingredient in the event. As an example he cites the America's Cup - a much more expensive event to compete in compared to the Volvo Ocean Race. "In the America's Cup 75% of the teams have no hope of winning because their boats are not capable of winning."

As to his plans Ingvall says they are currently up in the air. "I haven't decided whether we are coming back to Europe. I don't want to race against 100footers."

Even if the Simonis boat doesn't make it back Indvall has his other maxi, the former Whitbread maxi Charles Jourdain which he keeps in Spain.

For the future is what Indvall terms his 'Robinson Crusoe, project which he wants to get off the ground once he decides he is too old for racing. This is a round the world sailing expedition for children on a large purpose-built cruising catamaran. Schools could then follow their exploits on the internet and he is looking at the possibility of carrying some sort of small seaplane on board.

Like so many people who have raced around the world, Ingvall says they pass all these islands like Kerguelen, Tristan da Chuna or the Chatham Islands on races and inevitably become intrigued as to what it would be like to stop. "Peter Blake's murder could be seen potentially as a deterent to this, but it makes me feel all the more determined to make people are aware there are places out there different to here," he says. "We are the fortunate ones."

Like so many people in the racing fraternity, Blake's loss came as a great blow to Ingvall. While Blake was campaigning Ceramco in the Whitbread Round the World Race, he was instrumental in helping Indvall get his own project together for the race. "He told me so openly about the things which got Ceramco together. I sent him letters with questions and held send letters back with all the answers and advice. What he has achieved I don't anyone will achieve for a very long time."