By Sean Lawrenson, Co-Deputy Sports Editor
Iain Percy is one of the University of Bristol’s most notable alumni in the field of sports. One of Britain’s most successful sailors, Percy has three Olympic medals to his name, along with a string of European and World Championships. Having studied economics and maths in the mid-90’s, Percy went on to win Olympic Gold in 2000 at the Sydney Games in the Finn Class just two years after graduating from Bristol. Since finishing his competitive sailing career, Percy has become CEO of Artemis Technologies, who are working on improving maritime operations, both environmentally and commercially.
Our conversation begins as Percy immediately mentions the background of my bedroom in the Teams meeting. ‘You’re house looks a lot nicer than mine when I was a student’ he quips, and I am quick to inform him my light has been flickering on and off all day. We speak about Redland, where he lived whilst studying in Bristol, and about how he was able to balance studying for a degree alongside his sailing training. ‘As with most student days, they weren’t ‘enhanced’ memories’ he says looking back. Percy describes himself as having already been at a ‘semi-pro’ level when he came to university, and that thanks to Top 100 funding, given to students who had been in the top five at a world championship in their sport, he was paid to go to Bristol. ‘I’m not sure if that was a good thing because suddenly being on a fifteen grand salary as a student, it doesn’t all go in the right places.’
Despite his success as a sailor early on, Percy claims that his focus was primarily on his studies: ‘I would say that I focussed reasonably hard at uni. At that (uni-leaving) age you always feel like you’re short on time, but in the sport of sailing you’ve got a little bit more time. For me, I didn’t know that I was going to do that well at the Olympics. Honestly, it was just a sport, a sport I enjoyed and wanted to do well at.’ Percy shocks me when he says that it was never a career in his mind whilst at uni. ‘You know, you go back to ’96 and ’95, sport as a career wasn’t there really, outside of football. Even rugby wasn’t professional. So I was really focussing on uni, the academic side and the fun side. But holidays and weekends I would go and do my sport. I was quite dedicated, and did a lot of fitness training at Churchill with Josh Lewsey and some others. So we’d push each other on.’
We speak about Sydney, and how it felt winning gold at his first Olympic Games. Percy competed in the solo sailing event, the Finn Class. Competing against the best in the world, not only did Percy win the gold, he won it in comfortable fashion, dominating the rest of the field.
‘I did the things like the Opening Ceremony and that just blows your mind. Suddenly, for a sport like sailing which is always done away from field and you haven’t got crowds, then you walk into an Olympic Stadium.’
Despite not having fans in direct contact throughout the event, Percy was handed his gold medal in front of the Sydney Opera House, a fantastic encapsulation of what was a whirlwind first games. However, despite his domination, he wasn’t easing up during the Games, even when he knew he’d won. ‘I didn’t even let it go. When I won in Sydney I was very much in that mode. Of course, eventually, you’re in front of the opera house and the medal’s put over you.’ Yet, even after winning the gold in Sydney, still Percy had doubts about pursuing a full-time career as a sailor. ‘I was still in two minds after 2000, whether I would continue in sport. At the time, I was still set on going to work. A lot of my friends were up in London. Things, without much design, rolled one into another from Sydney, but I was really lucky to then have twenty years in a career I enjoyed.’
The conversation moves to arrival fallacy, the belief that athletes who spent so much time preparing for a competition find themselves feeling flat even if they win. ‘There is a small sense of loss whenever anything ends, whether you’ve won or lost…a lot less if you won.’ Percy speaks so passionately about the sport of sailing, and his determination to succeed is evident, even if he speaks modestly about his achievements. After the Sydney Games, Percy struggled in Athens, unable to get a medal, finishing sixth. Whilst some may see this as an achievement in its own right, for an Olympic Champion in the supposed prime of his career, the reflection is one of regret and missed opportunities. ‘I think [it's difficult] when you’ve not done as well as you should have, and I say should have because I don’t think I did myself justice in the effort level.’
However, Percy’s career extends beyond the Olympic stage, with him having competed in America’s cup teams and their preparations on three occasions. He cites this as a reason for not feeling too despondent post-Athens. ‘Having something you can turn your attention to immediately is really valuable,’ he tells me in relation to the stop/start nature of sailing as a sport, consistently changing the people around you as you move from event to event.
I ask him the broadest of questions: what the most memorable moment of his career is. His response is indicative of the character Perry cuts: reflective both on his life as a professional athlete, but more than that, as a friend.
‘I’d have to give three. The first was entering the Olympic Stadium in Sydney, and I think winning in Beijing with my best mate Andrew ('Bart') Simpson and to be able to get that through with him was really, really huge. And obviously, losing 'Bart' was a sad moment for me.'
Simpson, who tragically passed away in 2013 in a sailing accident off the coast of San Francisco, won two medals with Percy at Beijing and then London. Simpson’s legacy continues to this day through the eponymous foundation set up after his death, culminating in the annual ‘Bart’s Bash,' a fundraising event in Simpson's memory.
After his career in Olympic sailing, Percy joined Swedish-owned team Artemis, initially leading their America’s cup team. However, since then, he has become CEO of their technology company. ‘Every day’s different. It’s always a battle, but touch wood, it’s a battle where you’re taking two steps forward and one step back.’ Percy informs me that just prior to this he’s been filming with sponsors and also doing simulation work with his team. All in a day’s work.
At the heart of Artemis Technologies is there aim to increase the use of hyrdofoiling (a mechanism used commonly in sailing) in commercial maritime operations. Speaking about the positive impact this move could have on the environment, Percy strikes the balance between CEO and passionate environmentalist. ‘I was like you. I mean, I was racing on a boat that could go 50 miles per hour using the wind and I was being followed by three motor-powered support vessels. And I do have a similar desire to leave a better imprint on the world, and in some ways sports not good for that. I felt like we could do more than was being done.’
Percy mentions how studying Economics and Maths has filtered into his CEO mindset, shaping the way he has approached tackling decarbonisation whilst maintaining profit sustainability. ‘We looked at many things from hydrogen drives to wing-sails, and really all we were looking at was something that offered return on investment without subsidy. I hope over time we will get to a point with more taxation and subsidies toward decarbonisation. Obviously in the last two months it’s been a bit worrying with the America situation. But you hope society will get there.'
Percy's final sentiments are one of optimism, both on a personal level, and a broader message for society. He is passionate about the projects Artemis are putting forward, and throughout his career, Percy has made it clear that even with setbacks he will not stop. The former student is clearly capable of steering the ship towards success, and the ultimate goal of decarbonising the seas is no exception.
Featured image: Artemis Technologies
