Jules Salter didn’t have much of a choice. If you are born on the Isle of Wight, you are born into the sport of sailing.

“I started to sail dinghies when I was about five years old. I don’t know exactly why, but everybody did it. It’s more or less natural on the Isle of Wight,” he says.

But Jules’s childhood was not simply about sailing. There were football and rugby in the winter and cricket during the summer.

“We played cricket in the summer, but when we looked out over the sea and saw the boats, we wanted to be out there instead. Cricket is quite boring compared to sailing,” the Englishman says with a laugh. From the Isle of Wight, young Jules could see the big boats in the Admiral’s Cup, and as long as he can remember, he has had a dream about racing in the Cup. Many times he skipped out on school just to watch the big boats crossing the finish line.

But it was not until he was 25-years-old that he started to sail professionally. After more than five years of studying the law, he participated in his first Admirals Cup and was hooked. And he still can’t see himself at a law office in London.

“I guess I will still be sailing in 20 years from now. I really can’t picture myself behind a desk,” he says. Jules was the navigator for the GBR Challenge in the 2003 America’s Cup and was also a key part of their weather program. He has excellent technical knowledge of yachting, including race meteorology, instrument systems and racing software. In the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006, he navigated the runner-up, Pirates of the Caribbean, skippered by Paul Cayard.

“I have a practical sailor’s approach to the meteorological and strategic problems posed by the race with the new course and also to the day to day issues of keeping the yachts electronic and communication systems running” he says.

“I am attracted to the excitement of the Volvo Ocean Race. The America’s Cup is more like going to the ordinary office every day. The Volvo Ocean Race is something totally different, when you are racing at 30 knots in total darkness. It’s both scary and fascinating.“The bad thing with Volvo Ocean Race compared to the America’s Cup is being away from your family. But our kids are five and two, and those are good ages, since they can be with me during the stopovers.”

Jules will be in Ericsson’s international crew with skipper Torben Grael from Brazil and Stu Bannatyne and Brad Jackson, both from New Zealand, as watch captains. “Ericsson has a great team,” Jules says. “They are well organized, and we now have a year to bring the team together. I have not sailed with these guys before but I’m really looking forward to it. Torben is one of the greatest sailors in the world, and his performance was impressive in the last Volvo Ocean Race. I would much rather sail with him than against him”. And Jules has his own goal for this Volvo Ocean Race. “I came in on second place last time,” he says. “I want to do better next time.”