Marks-A-Lot

Mark Mendelblatt has achieved some big things in this sport ( 4 time Optimist Dinghy US national and North American Champion, Laser II World Champion, 2 time Laser North American Champion, US College Singlehanded Champion, One World AC Challenge, Won 2004 US Laser Olympic Trials) and theses are only a few highlights of his impressive resume. Known mostly for success in dinghies, Mark caught the sailing world by surprise when he won the 2005 Bacardi Cup sailed in Stars, a boat he had only raced a handful of times. We caught up with Mark to get his perspective on this and more. Enjoy.

You're a relative newcomer to the Star class, and yet you guys just won the Bacardi Cup. How the hell did you do that?

MM
It mainly had to do with my crew Mark Strube. He's been in the class for about 15 years and is certainly one of the best star crews out there. Even though we are relatively new to the class, I did about 5 or 6 regattas throughout the fall and winter in Miaimi. I was lucky to have either Mark or Steve Erickson sailing with me during those events, and in addition I had a few training days with Magnus L. (you have to look up the spelling of his last name). Sailing with those guys, you can't go wrong. During the regatta, we definitely had our fair share of lucky breaks too, so you could say we had a lot of things working for us in order to win.

Why did you use Quantum sails over North?

MM
I bought my boat from Colin Beashel and it came with a bunch of Quantum sails. The sails I used in the regatta were a combination of the ones I got with the boat and some new ones I've bought from Quantum. We have had good speed with our sails so far, so I really didn't see any reason to switch. One thing I will say about North sails though is that if you ever line up with Vince, you won't think they're slow.

What's next for you in the Star and is this now your primary focus?

MM
The star is definitely our primary focus. In a little over a week, we're heading to Nassau for the Spring Championship, then we will race in a few events in Europe over the summer. Our goal for the summer is to do well in The Europeans in August.

You've spent some time with the OneWorld AC program - tell us what you did there - and do you have AC aspirations for '07?

MM
I worked for OneWorld for about 3 years. It was a great experience, and I came out of it a much better sailor. During that time I did nearly every position on the boat, but my main role was the traveller. Unfortunately, I only got to compete in one race during the LV cup, but I didn't feel too bad considering I was taking a back seat to a guy who had a couple Olympic medals. At the moment, I'm not signed on with any AC teams, but I will always be happy to entertain an offer!

You are currently the tactician on the TP 52 Trader - a boat that has had limited success in that very tough fleet. What are the problems with Trader and can it get competitive?

MM
Good question. To set the record straight, I haven't been doing the tactics the whole time. I was in the beginning, but I've also done main trim as well. As far as our performance is concerned, we haven't exactly been on fire, but we are steadily improving. First off, we're sailing with an almost entirely amatuer crew while the other boats hire mostly pros. The guys on the boat are all friends of the owner, and so am I. We have a really good time racing, but we know we're probably not going to win just yet. We are working to optimize the boat below and above the water. The keel has been changed a bit, and the sails are getting better all the time. Also, our boathandling is improving in a big way. Every once in a while we show some really good speed, so I think there's hope still.

Otherwise, who knows, maybe it's just bad tactics on my part!

You work as a stock broker, but doesn't that get in the way of sailing? Any thoughts on turning "pro"?

MM
I used to work as a stock broker, or more specifically a bond salesman. Last February, the firm where I was employed for about 8 years got bought out, and I lost my job. I'm in the process of signing up to work for a hedge fund now, but it will be a part time position as sailing is now my primary focus. I guess I officially 'turned pro' when I signed on with OneWorld in 2000. It hasn't really changed my outlook on sailing or the way I do things, but now I have to think about getting paid for what I do. Basically, I'm using all the money I receive for sailing to fund my star campaign.

What are your long range goals in sailing?

MM: Winning a star worlds and getting an Olympic medal are my biggest aspirations in sailing. Also, I would love to be on a winning AC or Volvo team, but I have a lot less control over my future in those arenas.

Do you have an arch enemy on the water?

MM
As far as I know, I have no enemies in sailing. There are a few guys I've been sailing against for most of my carrer, and it's these guys I love to sail against and try to beat.

Lasers, Stars are physical boats. Tell us about your conditioning and training.

MM
For the Star, I'm focusing more on strength. It takes a lot of pull to get the main across during a heavy air gybe, and I'm not there yet. In the laser, I was always trying to lose weight and muscle mass, but now it's just the opposite. It's a lot more fun during meal time too.

What are the three keys to getting really good in this sport?

MM
I think there are a lot more than just three. But if I had to take a guess, I would say that they are boatspeed, experience and physical conditioning. These are all very difficult to develop and require a lot of time, money and patience.

What is one thing people don't know about you that they would find surprising?

MM
I'm not very good at answering these questions. Other than the obvious fact that I'm very involved in sailing, I am very into golf and windsurfing. Whenever I get free time, I'm either on the golf course, or if it's windy I'm out boardsailing. Also, I like to lay around as much as possible watching golf on TV.

Thanks Mark and good luck.

MM
Thank you.

27-Mar-2005