Bertrand, John (1946-…), an Australian yachtsman, was skipper of Australia II, which won the America’s Cup, the world’s oldest yacht race, in 1983. In a dramatic recovery from its losing record of 3 races to 1 against the United States defending yacht Liberty, Australia II went on to win 3 straight races. The yacht became the first successful challenger in the 132-year history of the event. Bertrand was a crew member on America’s Cup challengers Gretel II in 1970, Southern Cross in 1974, and Australia in 1980. He was also a member of two Olympic Games crews, in 1972 and 1976. The 1976 team won a bronze medal.
John Edwin Bertrand was born on Dec. 20, 1946, in Melbourne. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Monash University in 1969 and a master’s degree in ocean engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston in 1972. After he retired from sailing, Bertrand enjoyed success in running a marine business and became a well-known philanthropist. He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985 and became chairman of the organization in 2005.
