Sailing ahead

Success on the water

Year 9 student Richie Evans completed a successful Sailing season at Black Rock Yacht Club, winning the Junior Icicles Regatta (six races over five weekends) and the Junior Club Championship for his division.

Richie had a recent accidental meeting with one of Sailing’s greats. He was at Half Moon Bay, attempting to rig his newly acquired Aero racing sailboat when an older man introduced himself as John and gave him some tips on rigging.

It didn’t take long for Richie and his dad Andy to realise that they were getting advice from John Bertrand, AO, who skippered Australia II to victory in the 1983 America’s Cup Challenge, ending 132 years of American supremacy and the only time Australia has won.

John is a member and chairman of Sport Australia’s Hall of Fame, a life member of the American’s Cup Hall of Fame, and the subject of the Netflix documentary, Untold: The Race of the Century.