Celebrity Featured: John Bertrand
Artist: Regina Hona
About John Bertrand
Born in Melbourne in 1946, John Bertrand is proudly Australian yachtsman whose illustrious 25 year sailing career included skippering Australia 2 to victory in the 1983 Americas Cup. Not only did he break 132 years of American domination, Bertrand broke the longest running record in the history of modern sport.
World Champion and Olympic medalist, Bertrand has represented Australia in five Americas Cups and two Olympic Games. Involved in all aspects of sailing activity Bertrand still sails but has also taken on many other roles. He is the Chairman of Sport Australia Hall of Fame and OneAustralia and also received a Member Order of Australia in 1985.
Bertrand wrote his biography 'Born to Win' in 1985 which was at the time the largest selling biography in Australian publishing history. A keen philanthropist, Bertrand is also Chairman of the Alannah and Madeline children's foundation of which Princess Mary of Denmark has recently become International patron.
A successful businessman, he is also co-owner and Chairman of one of Australia's largest independent television production and distribution media companies, exporting shows and broadband content to 140 countries worldwide.
John's love of sailing continues, actively competing at the highest level within the International Etchells class of which he is the current Masters champion.