He is the Australian who skippered the winged keel Australia 2 to victory over Dennis Connor’s Liberty to win the 1983 America's Cup, breaking 132 years of American domination and, in the process, breaking the longest-running record in the history of modern sport. The comeback from 3-1 down and the final race victory, billed as the race of the century, was perhaps the greatest upset in modern Australian sports history.
Ask any Australian where he or she was the day that it happened, and they will remember.
The Australia 2-team victory was voted by Australia’s Sports Hall of Fame as the greatest team performance in 200 years of Australian sport.
A World Champion and Olympic medallist, John represented Australia in five America's Cups and two Olympic Games. In over 25 years of America’s Cup campaigning, he was involved in all areas of activity…from skipper of Australia 2 to Chairman of OneAustralia.
Australia conferred a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) on John in 1985. His biography 'Born to Win" published in 1985, was the largest-selling biography in Australian publishing history.
Together with Herb Elliott and Dawn Fraser, John was a member of the 2000 Australian Olympic team acting as a mentor to the team athletes during the Sydney Olympic Games.
Over his 30 year business career, he has successfully established businesses in the marine industry, property development industry and media industries. He is Executive Chairman of the television production and distribution company WorldWide Entertainment that exports television shows to 120 countries worldwide.
Within community services, he is Chairman of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, a charity that supports children who have suffered violent crime or sudden family loss. He is also a Director of the Australia Day Committee.
John holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Monash University and a Master of Science degree from MIT in Boston.
He is a life member of both the America's Cup Hall of Fame and Australia’s Sports Hall of Fame.
John love of sailing continues. Over recent years has been ranked #1 in the world in the Etchell class.
TOPICS
• Teams and Winning
• Leadership
