Tokyo Olympics: Why Lake Macquarie’s Will Ryan, Jaime Ryan hated sailing

Sailing on Lake Macquarie on a little wooden boat launched the careers of these two Olympians, which is a bit weird, because they hated it.

Jaime and Will Ryan are heading to their second Olympics together in different boats. Pic: Beau Outteridge.

Most siblings squabble but these two are on the Australian Olympic team together chasing matching medals in sailing.

Will Ryan reckons he learned his management skills pretty early in his life thanks to having three younger sisters - including Olympian Jaime.

And those skills have come in pretty handy managing two Olympic sailing campaigns for the 2016 Rio and 2021 Tokyo Games.

It will be a family affair for brother and sister Will and Jaime Ryan in Tokyo after they were named on their second Olympic team for sailing.

“I’m the only boy and I am the oldest so I have learned how to manage people pretty well over the years,’’ said Ryan, 32, whose sisters are Sasha, 29, Jaime, 26 and Elsie, 23.

“Between the three of them I could always keep one on good terms.”

Ryan and skipper Mat Belcher are among the favourites to win a gold medal in the men’s 470 class at the Olympics where the sailing will be run from Enoshima, south west of Tokyo, on the Pacific Ocean.

Will Ryan and his sisters on their little wooden boat. Pic: Supplied.

Sister Jaime is racing with skipper Tess Lloyd in the 49er FX class where the pair are also hoping to be in the medal mix.

Ryan and his family moved to Coal Point on Lake Macquarie when he was 12 and it was here his sailing career began, despite a bumpy start.

“Our grandfather always had a yacht and that was our treat, to go sailing for our holidays,’’ Ryan said.

“My parents took us to Toronto Amateur Sailing Club and bought us a wooden Sabot for $200.

Will Ryan and skipper Mat Belcher won a silver medal at the last Olympics. They are hoping to go one better in Tokyo.

“I remember hating my first race because it was so windy and I didn’t know what was going on. I think we capsized as well. It was horrible.

“I didn’t take to it straight away. I really wanted to play rugby.

“But then I had a few injuries and that’s when I really started sailing and I just loved the team dynamic thing.”

As Ryan move through the ranks and won a silver medal with Belcher at the Rio Games, so did Jaime.

The sailor also went to the Rio Olympics as part of the women’s 470 crew before swapping to the faster, more spectacular twin trapeze 49er FX in the lead-up to Tokyo.

Jaime Ryan (left) and Tess Lloyd are chasing our first medal in the 49er FX class during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“It is awesome to have her there. We know how lucky we are to share experiences,’’ Ryan said.

“We do chat things through, we understand what needs to be done, the way to do things and the sacrifices.’’

Jamie, who is doing a Masters in Sustainability and would like to do consultancy work post the Olympics, loves having her big brother around.

“I’m so proud of him and what he and Mat have done together,’’ she said.

“It’s cool having him around. He’s the reason I got involved in the sport and he’s such a big support. If I have any problem he’s the one I call.’’

Australian 49erFX class sailers Tess Lloyd and Jaime Ryan are part of an Australian sailing team on course for medal success.

Like her brother, Jaime’s first experience racing was also one she would be she would happily forget.

“I didn’t like getting cold and wet and I still hate it to be honest,” she said.

While they will race in separate crews in Tokyo, the pair trained together on a mixed Nacra 17 catamaran during the coronavirus pandemic last year.

“It was a lot of fun,’’ Ryan said.

Lake Macquarie has played an important role in a number of Australian sailing’s recent successes with Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen, who crew up on the lake, winning gold and silver at the London and Rio Olympics.

London gold medallist Tom Slingsby, a multiple world Laser champion who also honed his skills on Lake Macquarie, recently won the Moth world titles in Italy.

AMANDA LULHAM will be in Japan covering the Tokyo Olympics, including sailing.