skandia:star

Iain Percy OBE and Andrew Simpson MBE. Olympic, World and European Champions.

Andrew and Iain, best mates since childhood, teamed up to compete in the Star Class just 18 months before the Beijing Olympics. Since then the pair have trained continuously and have competed in International Championships and America’s Cup events together.

The Star Class is a two-man keelboat that is both physically and mentally demanding. It’s a highly technical boat that requires a real partnership from its helm and crew.

Andrew and Iain's incredible story includes how they tried and tested three boats in the build up to Beijing, and just two weeks before the Olympic regatta, developed one that was fast enough to compete. More problems met them in Beijing when their boat failed the measurement test after warping in the mould. Technical experts within Skandia Team GBR worked through the night to ensure the boat met the legal measurements, and with the award of a “pass sticker" from a Chinese official, they found themselves back in the race.

The pair never doubted their ability to win, they fought hard, not just for two weeks of the Olympics, but for 18 months leading up to the Games. Iain and Andrew secured Gold number 17 for Team GB.