Airwaves Interview Series: Terry Hutchinson

Airwaves interview with Terry Hutchinson conducted by Amanda Salvesen:

If you are a sailor, which is pretty likely as you’re reading this, you probably think of Terry Hutchinson the same way as football fans think of Tom Brady. We all watched with baited breath in 2007 when he raced in the America’s Cup and cheered him on when his team won the Med Cup in 2008. His sailing career has been widely successful in many different venues and boats, ranging from national to world championships in fleet and match racing. If you talk to him, though, he’ll be the first to admit that it all comes back to the elements of success for any sport: hard work and determination.

            One of the recent polls on the Sail1Design website has asked what sailors want with them out on the water and offers options like sunglasses and a water bottle. I asked Terry the same question and expected a similar answer, but he responded with, “Work ethic. I will always take people with work ethic and passion for the job over somebody who might be equal in talent, but not work as hard.” This opinion speaks to the common ground our sport shares with others. Passion and drive are more important to any team than expensive gear or even natural talent. Any sailor with motivation and a willingness to work to improve is eventually going to become better than that guy on top who is content with his abilities. Terry even cites the quality he admires most in crew members as a “willingness to do whatever it takes to win (within the rules, of course).” It is easy to tell, from just a short conversation, that his experience has taught him to value a certain mental mindset over any other trait in a sailor.

            With this crucial dedication grasped firmly in hand, Terry has traveled all over the world, bringing home victory after victory. I asked him a few questions about his sailing preferences and he was quick to endorse San Francisco Bay and Porto Cervo, Italy as his favorite venues. Clearly, he is not one to cherish a relaxing drifter of a race. Also, and with no prompts, he stood wholeheartedly behind one-design racing saying, “No ratings, no question. When you finish you know exactly where you stand. When you win in one-design racing, you know it is about team and effort.” Personally, I must agree. However, all sports have their challenges and sailing can be one of the most difficult due to all the uncontrollable factors even after you take away the different boats. Terry sees his most frustrating moment in the sport as, “losing Race Seven of the America’s Cup by one second. It is still with me today but it just goes to show how our sport is truly a game of inches.” After an experience like that, it takes a lot of positivity to move away from the what if-ing and continue on, but it clearly hasn’t brought him down. If anything, it seems to have made him appreciate sailing all the more.

            Though he is often away, while at home Terry is the average Annapolitan, sailing for the joy of the sport. His children, Elias, Katherine, and Aiden are often seen out with their dad on Wednesday night for the racing series and all three of them participate in the summer sailing program at the Annapolis Yacht Club. Though Terry often gives his eldest tips when he races Optimists, he likes to leave the coaching up to their instructors. He says, “I enjoy sailing with them and letting them experience a part of the sport that I did growing up, but I only want them to race if they want to race,” which is a refreshing change of pace from parents who push their kids too hard at an early age. Terry wants them to enjoy the sport, not win everything, “Almost all of our summer sailing comes on Mirage [a local J-105] on Wednesday nights. It is fun and they get to see and experience that sailing is a life sport that you can do with friends.” Terry describes his time away from his family as challenging but necessary, “It is difficult as every moment that I am gone is a moment that I won’t get back with [my wife] Shell or our kids. But, it is a necessary evil as inevitably I am a professional and it is what is required for my job. As much as I love my job, I hate the fact that I miss certain family time. But I am very lucky in that Shell has been incredibly supportive of my career. Without her support, it would not have been possible.”

            So what are Terry’s secrets to success? It doesn’t seem like he has many. He prizes determination and passion and has found that, like anything valuable in life, you must work hard to achieve. Even through all his success, he remains modest but confident, describing his difficulties as opportunities to learn and spending as much time as possible with his family. His example can speak to all of us who have a willingness to improve and a desire to be successful in the sport of sailing.